Retail Vandalism and Smash-and-Grab:
What We Know about Retail Perimeter Security

Interface’s Virtual Perimeter Guard delivers proactive outdoor defence by combining AI detection, automated deterrence, and live human intervention. Virtual Perimeter Guard extends Interface’s indoor Virtual Security Guard platform, giving retailers continuous coverage from curb to cash wrap.

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LP Training is Critical During Busy Shopping Season
Why LP Training Is More Important Than Ever During the Holiday Season

By the D&D Daily staff

As retailers head into the busiest shopping period of the year, the holiday season also brings a familiar challenge: a sharp uptick in theft, fraud, and safety incidents. Crowded stores, seasonal staff, and heightened consumer activity create conditions that can quickly overwhelm even experienced teams. For that reason, consistent and focused loss prevention (LP) training becomes one of the most effective tools for minimizing risk.

According to retail analysts, organized retail crime and opportunistic theft typically increase between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, with many incidents tied to high-value gift items and high foot traffic. Seasonal associates, who may be new to retail or unfamiliar with company policies, often become the first line of defense. Properly trained employees can identify suspicious behaviors, understand how to safely respond, and know when to alert LP or management — potentially preventing costly losses or dangerous confrontations.

Beyond theft deterrence, holiday-specific LP training reinforces workplace safety. Stores dealing with extended hours and dense customer flow face higher risks of accidents, crowd management issues, and even aggressive customer behavior. Refresher courses on emergency procedures, incident reporting, and de-escalation techniques help protect both employees and shoppers while ensuring compliance with local regulations.

Many retailers now take a proactive approach by integrating micro-learning modules and digital simulations that allow employees to practice real-world scenarios. Others emphasize cross-department collaboration, ensuring sales and operations teams understand how their actions impact shrink and safety outcomes.

In an era where retail crime continues to evolve, LP training during the holidays isn’t just a compliance requirement — it’s a strategic investment. By preparing every team member, from temporary hires to senior management, retailers strengthen their ability to respond quickly, reduce losses, and maintain a safe shopping environment at the busiest time of year.


States Battle Rising Retail Crime with New Laws
Violent retail thefts are concerningly on the rise and New Jersey is fighting back
A new report finds that violence and shoplifting at stores throughout the country are sharply on the rise, and it's hurting consumers. Retailers reported 18% more shoplifting incidents in 2024 when compared to 2023, and the number of threats or violent incidents during shoplifting increased by 17%.

The study released by the National Retail Federation last week found that it's not small-time thieves driving the increase. Around half of all shoplifting and supply chain theft was linked back to organized retail crime, according to the 2025 report.

Massive, transnational ORC groups have made an industry out of stealing from stores.

In April, Gov. Murphy signed into law stricter new punishments for members of ORC enterprises.

One important part of the legislation was that the state Attorney General's Office must investigate and deter organized retail theft. That includes the creation of a task force or unit dedicated to retail theft investigations.

And any assault against a retail employee who is on the job will now be charged as an aggravated assault, upgraded from simple assault. Now, putting stolen goods up for sale is a new crime. The disorderly persons offense is called fostering the sale of stolen property.

Repeated offenders involved in organized retail theft can also face harsher sentences, and more expensive stolen goods will lead to more serious charges.  nj1015.com


CA's Crackdown: 28% Increase in Stolen Property Recovered
'California’s public safety investments are paying off'

Newsom Reports Success in Statewide Public Safety Efforts, Citing Surge in Recovered Stolen Property
Governor Gavin Newsom announced that California’s public safety investments are paying off, pointing to sharp increases in arrests, prosecutions, and recovered stolen property across the state.

According to a press release from the Governor’s Office, “Between October 2023 and June 2025, state-funded local law enforcement operations resulted in the arrest of more than 25,675 suspects and the referral of nearly 20,049 cases for prosecution.”

The Governor’s Office also reported that more than $190 million worth of stolen property has been recovered, marking a 28 percent increase. “Our focus is simple: keeping Californians safe,” Newsom said. “We’re cracking down on organized retail crime, partnering with local law enforcement, protecting small businesses, and making sure the people responsible are held to account.”

The release explained that Newsom proposed the Organized Retail Theft (ORT) grants, distributed by the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC), which provided 38 law enforcement agencies with over $242 million for equipment, enhanced enforcement operations, new hires, and retail partnerships.

“The ORT grants are empowering local law enforcement to take bold, coordinated action against organized retail crime,” BSCC Chair Linda Penner said. “The results speak for themselves—safer communities, stronger partnerships, and a more resilient retail economy statewide.”  davisvanguard.org


Removing Self-Checkout Can Cut Theft - But Hurt the Customer Experience
Aldi customers fume after stores remove self checkout: 'Y'all been stealing'
Customers at the fast-growing budget grocery store have been left fuming after discovering that self-checkout kiosks are disappearing. Aldi — a German discount grocery store chain known for its no-frills, low-price model — began testing self-checkouts in 2021, and by this summer it had them in hundreds of its 2,500 stores.

But it has now emerged the grocer has started yanking them out. Aldi said 'we have adjusted checkout formats in select locations to ensure we're offering the best shopping experience possible while delivering exceptional value.' Customers have rushed online to air their grievances with Aldi's latest move.

A user from Chicago uploaded footage of the long lines to pay for groceries, with the caption: 'nothing scarier than the line at Aldi after they took out all the self checkout kiosks.' Then there is the matter of theft, which increases by up to 65 percent at self-checkouts compared to a traditional checker.

According to a LendingTree survey of 2,000 US consumers, 15 percent of self-checkout users have purposely stolen an item — and 44 percent of self-checkout thieves plan to do it again.

Some customers think Aldi could be preparing to replace the kiosks with newer AI-powered systems, similar to the ones Sam’s Club is rolling out at its 600 US locations. Self-checkout tills have been one of the most controversial development in retail. Some people love them and others despise them. dailymail.co.uk


New 'Gunshot Detection System' Coming to Chicago?
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s budget includes money for ShotSpotter replacement
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s budget proposal once again includes a hefty sum set aside for a ShotSpotter replacement, administration officials told aldermen Thursday.

Officials identified a $5 million line item in the mayor’s 2026 spending plan as money for a “gunshot detection system” when pressed by aldermen during budget hearings. The item’s written description only said the money was for “software maintenance and licensing.”

But despite the revelation, the plan to spend on a replacement for the controversial acoustic gunshot detection technology that sparked a long, heated clash between Johnson and the City Council is likely no surprise for aldermen. Johnson announced his administration was seeking proposals for “gun violence detection technology” in February.

Department leaders touted the work to find the replacement technology, promising a “great product” is on the way. Pressed by Ald. Matthew O’Shea on when the technology could again be activated on Chicago streets, Casey said other departments are in charge of picking the company and negotiating a contract. chicagotribune.com


Zohran Mamdani Just Inherited the 'NYPD Surveillance State'

The facts behind an American obsession — crime
 

Will NYC Retailers Flee City After Mayoral Election?
Supermarket Billionaire Threatens To Cut Workforce, Move HQ To Florida After Mamdani’s Win
New York City supermarket billionaire John Catsimatidis went nuclear in June, when Zohran Mamdani, who had proposed opening a cheap city-run grocery story in each of the five boroughs, won the democratic primary for mayor. Catsimatidis held a press conference with Bodega owners; publicly threatened to shut down his 30-plus stores if the democratic socialist won the election.

Now that Mamdani has been elected, Catsimatidis is ...looking for “friendly states” to relocate operations, with Florida being the most likely candidate. “The key word is a common sense place to do business in,” explains Catsimatidis.

The nearly lifelong New Yorker, who immigrated to the city from Greece at six months old, dropped out of New York University his senior year to open the first Red Apple grocery store in 1971. Within four years, Catsimatidis had ten stores and was making $1 million a year. Today, Red Apple Group, which acquired Gristedes supermarkets in 1986 and recently gained a controlling share in D'Agostino stores, says it’s the largest supermarket chain in New York City, with most of its stores in Manhattan.

Mamdani’s plan to set up city-sponsored stores – which would be exempt from paying rent or taxes, would partner with farmers and small businesses to offer groceries at wholesale prices and with no plans to make money – is in response to soaring food costs. “Whether you are…a single mom still waiting for the cost of groceries to go down, or anyone else with their back against the wall. Your struggle is ours, too,” he said in his victory speech Tuesday night.

Catsimatidis claims it’s also his struggle. “We don't have any profit margins,” he says, explaining that his stores have been losing money for “at least two years.” He blames the state of the city: “Shoplifting is up to an all-time high. A lot of stuff is being closed up, which means that it's not easy for people to shop, so sales are down.”

Catsimatidis, who employs a few thousand people, hasn’t decided how his business will respond if city-run stores undercut its prices, but says he’s “sure” he will need to reduce its workforce. “Can you imagine a tax-free supermarket that pays no commercial rent tax, no sales tax… I mean, how do you compete against that?,” he says. “You can’t fight city hall.”  msn.com


Layoffs Hammer the Retail Industry
Retail industry remains one of ‘hardest hit’ from 2025 job cuts

The federal government again did not publish its monthly jobs report, but Challenger, Gray & Christmas data shows another period of high layoffs across sectors.

Job cuts in the retail industry improved just slightly to 2,431 cuts in October compared to 2,577 in September, per a new report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas on Thursday.

However, Challenger said the “sector remains among the hardest hit this year,” having announced 88,664 job cuts so far. This marks a 145% increase from the 36,136 announced through October last year.

The company reported 153,074 job cuts across all industries in October, which is up 175% from the same month in 2024. The private data comes as the federal government, for the second month in a row, is missing the release of its monthly jobs report Friday due to the government shutdown.

October turned out to be a bleak month for some retail employees who, just ahead of the holidays, found out their roles are being eliminated.

It was also a rough month overall, as it marked the highest job cut total in October in more than 20 years. Through the first 10 months of the year, U.S. employers have now cut more than 1 million jobs, according to Challenger, the highest total since 2020. retaildive.com


Retailers Are Successfully Mitigating Tariff Impacts
NRF: Store shelves well stocked for holidays, tariff price hikes ‘minimized’

Retailers’ efforts to mitigate the impact of tariffs ahead of the holiday shopping appear to have paid off.

Although tariff uncertainty continues, most holiday merchandise is already in stores or warehouses and cargo volume at the nation’s major container ports should see its usual end-of-year slowdown in November and December, according to the Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

“We’ve spent most of the year worried about the impact of tariffs on both inflation and the supply chain but the holiday season is here and mitigation efforts appear to have paid off,” NRF VP for supply chain and customs policy Jonathan Gold said. “Store shelves are well stocked and the effect on prices has been minimized, largely thanks to retailers taking steps like frontloading imports during times of low or delayed tariff increases or absorbing the costs themselves. Consumers should be able to find the products they want at prices they like.” chainstoreage.com


Wendy's to close roughly 300 stores nationwide starting in late 2025

Wayfair pilots small-format store in Ohio