Everon Whitepaper

A Layered Approach to Securing Retail Entrances Against Theft

Retailers across the nation are feeling the strain and profit loss attributed to a rise in external theft hitting their stores. Taking an active role in layering technology and updating policies and procedures can help retailers stem the flow of activity and risk.

Shoplifting has been around as long as shopping itself. What changes over the years is the methods deployed by the thieves and the magnitude of the issue for retailers’ bottom lines. As reported by a number of industry associations, security suppliers and retailers, the COVID-19 pandemic has played a significant role in increasing the frequency of more violent types of crimes.

While no one solution or even combination of solutions will completely eradicate shoplifting from our society, taking an active role in layering technology and updating policies and procedures can help retailers stem the flow of activity and risk. Active prevention methods such as signage, visible camera technologies and public view monitors, along with solutions designed to modify consumer behavior, can have an impact on deterring crime across the retail industry.

Shoplifting, organized retail crime and social media-driven theft impacts everyone—from the consumer to the retailer and the communities where they operate—so a coordinated effort between retailers, their security partners and law enforcement is an essential first step.

To learn how Everon's retail security professionals can help create a safe shopping environment and minimize shrink in your stores, discover our comprehensive security, fire, and life safety solutions below.

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GSX Day One: Kicking Off the Security Rodeo in New Orleans

By Hedgie Bartol, LPQ, LPC

Welcome to New Orleans — where the beads fly, the jazz plays, and the world’s security professionals descend upon the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center to plot, compare notes, and maybe argue over barbecue sauce. Day One of GSX 2025 didn’t disappoint: the expo floor is humming, keynotes are lighting the way, and the technology on display is making us see just how fast this space is moving.

Here are my first impressions, the bold trends I’m betting on, and—of course—the tech moves you need to keep on your radar.

Morning Keynote & “Game Changer” Vibes

The GSX schedule kicked off strong with the first Game Changer session, “When High-Profile Means Danger: Protecting Executives from Public Threats” — a sobering reminder that reputation, visibility, and vulnerability are now tightly intertwined. The framing was clear: bad actors often weaponize perception as much as bullets or malware. That means our security portfolios need to include digital footprint monitoring, brand protection, and reputation defense as core elements.

Also worth noting: GSX is leaning heavy into cross-disciplinary security—not just physical, not just cyber, but hybrid strategies.

What’s Hot on the Expo Floor

After the morning sessions, things quickly got fun (and vendor-heavy). Here are some of the tech highlights I’m watching—and why you should care:

One name I noticed popping up: Alpha Vision came to GSX with its outdoor, AI-powered surveillance towers and “physical super intelligence” platform. Designed for off-grid or hard-to-cover spaces, their solution combines autonomous detection, deterrence, and data packaging—making it especially relevant for retailers managing lots, yards, and distribution perimeters.

But don’t mistake fancy logos for full solutions. The real winners will be those vendors who are open, interoperable, and willing to play nice with others.

First-Mover Moves & Tactical Suggestions

If you’re in Asset Protection, Retail Ops, or security leadership and just arrived in New Orleans, here are some practical “bring-home” ideas based on Day One:

• Map your data sources now. Know which systems/sensors in your environment (video, access control, alarms, point-of-sale, IoT devices) can be turned into feed sources—then push vendors to open APIs so you can triangulate events.

• Ask the booth reps: “How do you play with others?” If they dodge or fumble over integration, chalk them down as “nice demo, but not strategic.” You need tech that respects ecosystems, not demands monoliths.

• Pilot edge vision + local decisioning. Use smart cameras or edge boxes that can trigger local actions (locks, alarms, lights) without waiting for the cloud. The value: faster response, less latency, resilience under network failure.

• Start linking reputation and security. Use threat intelligence and brand-monitoring feeds (social media, dark web watch, media) as part of your protective posture, especially for executives or flagship locations.

• Use Help/Assist hardware as sensors. Those customer engagement buttons, kiosks, or help stations can double as alert points or fallback for staff during emergencies. Watch how they fold into your event streams.

• Stay vigilant about resilience. Power, communications, and redundancy are no longer edge concerns—they are core. If your security stack can’t survive a grid hiccup or comms drop, you’ve got a gap.

A Word to the Wise (and the Restless)

If GSX were a jazz jam, Day One was the piano solo—complex, evocative, and a bit unpredictable. You can’t just wander the floor and expect brilliance to leap out at you. Walk with purpose, question deeply, and expect vendors to show not only “what their tech does,” but “how it helps me sleep when push comes to shove.”

Tomorrow, I’ll dig deeper into cross-domain security, vendor interoperability, and the must-see demos (you know, the ones that make your jaw drop). Stay tuned—New Orleans isn’t just here for the gumbo and the jazz; it’s here for security’s next act.
 

Can Bodycams Curb Retail Crime?
Retailers are using police-style bodycams to deal with crime, but this company wants its latest AI-powered tech to do more

Some companies, like Walmart and TJX, are using police-style body cameras to address the issue.

Retail workers see a lot of bad behavior while on the job. From shoplifting to violence to general harassment, the hourly workers who keep stores running smoothly often deal with a higher share of incidents than the average person does.

Some retailers, including Walmart, have responded by testing out the use of police-style body cameras at certain locations as they look for ways to improve worker safety. Others, like Home Depot, continue to invest heavily in curbing shoplifting and other organized retail crime and gathering evidence to prosecute repeat offenders. Off-price retailer TJX has numerous job listings that require employees to "wear a complete company-approved uniform, including a body-worn camera."

Axon, a leading maker of police body cameras, introduced last year a version of its law enforcement product that it tweaked for retail and healthcare use. Now, Axon tells Business Insider it's launching a lighter and smaller version early next year for frontline workers.

"When you're on video, just as we've seen in public safety, it's a de-escalator," Isner said. "These incidents start to just get less intense and less confrontational."

Front-line workers — from flight attendants enforcing airline mask mandates during the pandemic, to baristas jotting names on cups this month — can be thrust into difficult situations with customers, some of whom may be filming and posting videos of their own on social media.

Motorola, which makes a competing product, surveyed about 1,000 US retail workers last year and found that two-thirds had experienced a shoplifting incident in the past year, and 46% said they had threatening or abusive customer interactions. ca.news.yahoo.com


Is Cargo Theft a National Crisis?
Cargo theft: An emerging national and economic security crisis
Cargo theft in America is not just a matter of a few stolen goods. It is a growing threat to our national and economic security.

As a former senior executive at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, I spent nearly two decades coordinating with other domestic enforcement agencies and foreign partners to strengthen the border and trade security systems that keep our country physically safe and economically secure. Today, one of those systems, our supply chain, is under increasing pressure by organized and sophisticated criminal groups.

When you peruse neighborhood grocery stores, scroll through ecommerce sites, or place orders from big-box retailers, it’s easy to forget that nearly every product you buy travels a long path to get to you. Like blood delivering oxygen throughout the body, America’s connected, integrated supply chains ensure that goods manufactured in one part of the country are available anywhere in America when you need them. These supply chains are the lifeblood of our economy, and they must be protected.

Today, cargo theft presents a new kind of disruption. And although this threat is different from a global pandemic, its risks are no less consequential. What’s at stake is more than just a single shipment of appliances, auto parts, or consumer packaged goods. Rather, these criminals threaten the integrity of America’s supply chains — supply chains that serve as the foundation of our economy and which keep American families clothed, connected and fed.

All told, criminals like these cost the American economy billions of dollars. So America’s distribution and transportation networks are increasingly the target of organized criminal groups — and that’s a threat to every American who buys or sells anything.

Given the stakes involved, we need a federal solution to address cargo theft before it is too late. Fortunately, there is already a bipartisan proposal that can help by providing the needed resources to better address and prevent cargo theft: the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act. thehill.com


State with Sharpest Shoplifting Surge?
Maryland Sees Sharp Rise in Shoplifting Incidents
Maryland has recorded one of the sharpest increases in shoplifting in the United States. Newly analyzed FBI crime data reveals a troubling 25.55% jump in incidents. This places the state seventh nationally for the steepest percentage rise in retail theft.

The analysis was conducted by Ladah Injury & Car Accident Lawyers. It compared reported shoplifting cases from 2023 to 2024. The number of incidents in Maryland climbed from 25,329 to 31,801 in a single year.

The data points to a significant retail crime challenge for the state. According to Reuters, organized retail crime is a growing concern nationwide. These criminal rings often target high-value, easy-to-resell items.

Economic pressures are also considered a key factor. The spokesperson for the research firm highlighted these broader challenges. They noted the rise may reflect strain on both consumers and enforcement resources.

Maryland legislators have taken action in response. New laws targeting organized retail crime were passed. These laws allow prosecutors to combine the value of stolen goods from multiple jurisdictions. inews.zoombangla.com


Portland Goes From Unrest to Federal Crackdown in 5 Years
Portland set to see Trump crime crackdown reckoning after 2020's humiliating violence spree
Portland was ravaged by violence in 2020 as liberal protesters, Black Lives Matter activists, Antifa anarchists and others converged on the deep blue stronghold following the death of George Floyd during an interaction with Minneapolis police on Memorial Day of that year.

The Trump administration deployed federal law enforcement to help quell the violence near federal property, but did not roll out crime crackdown initiatives on par with what the president is currently unveiling in cities such as Washington, D.C., this year.

Now, President Donald Trump has set his sights on the left-wing city to remove illegal immigrants and crack down on crime trends — five years after the city saw millions of dollars in damages and witnessed consecutive nights of rioting that began on Memorial Day and continued into September 2020. foxnews.com


Australia: Workers face brazen shoplifters as retail crime surges in Victoria

Nine people dead and scores injured over weekend of mass US shootings