Retail Crime AI Survey
How Is AI Changing the Fight Against Retail Crime?

Take two minutes to help shape the D&D Daily's first industry report on AI and retail crime prevention

AI is rapidly becoming part of the retail crime prevention toolkit — supporting video analytics, fraud detection, investigations, intelligence gathering, reporting and other critical LP/AP functions.

But how much is the industry actually using AI today? Where is it making the biggest impact? And where do retail crime and loss prevention professionals believe the technology is headed next?

The D&D Daily wants your perspective.

We’ve launched our first Retail Crime Prevention and AI Survey, a brief, two-minute industry survey examining how artificial intelligence is being used to prevent, detect and investigate retail crime.

The survey is open to retail asset protection, loss prevention, security and law enforcement professionals and is focused on the industry — not individual products or vendors. We want to understand where AI is being deployed, what challenges organizations are encountering and which applications professionals believe hold the greatest potential for retail crime prevention.

And you don't need to be an AI expert to participate.

Whether your organization is already deploying AI, evaluating new technologies or has barely begun exploring its potential, your experience helps provide a clearer picture of where the industry actually stands.

Survey results will form the foundation of the D&D Daily's inaugural Retail Crime Prevention and AI Report, an executive overview examining AI's growing role in the fight against retail crime.

The report will be published as both an interactive website and downloadable PDF, featuring industry data, visualizations, key findings and insights from senior leaders across retail and law enforcement.

The more LP/AP and law enforcement professionals who participate, the more meaningful that industry snapshot becomes.

It takes approximately two minutes. Help us capture where retail crime prevention and AI stand today — and where they're going next.

Take the Retail Crime Prevention and AI Survey today: survey.retailcrime.ai


The Push to Legalize Shoplifting?
Socialist NY lawmaker Emily Gallagher says shoplifting for ‘biological need’ is OK
A Brooklyn socialist lawmaker declared this week that shoplifters have a right to swipe items like soap and toothpaste from local stores without getting busted — because of their “biological need” for the products.

State Assemblywoman Emily Gallagher strongly suggested shoplifting should be legalized while joined at a news conference outside Manhattan Criminal Court on Thursday by other lefty pols and criminal justice advocates with Court Watch NYC. The group claimed it monitored 360 arraignments over four days and found more than half were for misdemeanor offenses.

“Most of what we saw were crimes of poverty-people who are stealing things like toothpaste, people who were stealing things like, you know, soap. And that means if you’re stealing those things, you need them,” said Gallagher, who reps Greenpoint and other sections of woke northern Brooklyn.

“And we are choosing to protect billion-dollar companies, like CVS and Walgreens, over the people who are struggling to get by. So I would say that the true crime is that there is such incredible wealth disparity in this city that there are people who can be thrown in jail simply for having a biological need.”

The card-carrying member of the Democratic Socialists of America said she would continue to push for “treatment-not-jail” punishments – all but ignoring that first-time shoplifting offenders rarely get jailtime and that lack of enforcement pushed by lefty pols like herself statewide has forced many drugstores to lock products in plastic cases.

She and other pols at the event also called on fellow socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani to follow through on his campaign promise to end “broken windows policing” tactics by NYPD cops that target quality-of-life crimes like graffiti and fare evasion. nypost.com


Make Parking Lots Safe Again
As Shoppers Show Fear of Retail Parking Lots at Night, Is This a Fixable Problem?
When we discuss problems facing consumers, brands, and retailers today, safety concerns often take a backseat — and if they are discussed, online scams, skimmed credit cards, and in-store threats usually take precedence.

However, according to recent data from LiveView Technologies (LVT), nearly half of Americans (46%) — including a majority (52%) of women, and 41% of men — feel unsafe in large, open-air retail parking lots after dark.

“Men and women alike are concerned about their safety in parking lots, especially after dark, which could impact overall store foot traffic and sales,” said Matt Kelley, SVP of Business and Market Development at LVT.

Speaking of solutions, Kelley offered a few remarks on that subject:

“Retailers can better secure parking lots and increase the sense of safety by ensuring optimal lighting, establishing visibility with human guards or through video security solutions, and offering assistance to customers who may appreciate a store associate accompanying them to their vehicle. Proactive communication around a store’s safety efforts can help alleviate shopper fears around safety at all hours,” he said.

Other tips offered by Consumer Reports on the subject of staying safe in retailers’ parking lots included: being choosy about where you park, preferring populated and well-lit areas; removing items from view that could incite theft and locking your vehicle; being totally aware of your surroundings, and not keeping your attention on your smartphone while walking to and from your car; refraining from dallying and walking with purpose with your keys in hand; and to always assume you are being watched, with that same phone at the ready to dial 911 in case of emergency, among others. retailwire.com


Colorado Springs Police Department cracks down on organized retail crime
The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) led a coordinated enforcement operation targeting retail crime between Aug. 4 and Aug. 7. The effort resulted in 16 misdemeanor citations issued and six new felony charges filed.

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Consistency Strengthens LP Programs
Consistency Is Key to Effective Retail Loss Prevention

By the D&D Daily staff

Retail loss prevention programs have more technology, data and investigative tools at their disposal than ever before. But even the most sophisticated strategy can struggle if basic processes aren’t being followed consistently across stores.

For LP/AP teams, consistency can be one of the most overlooked elements of an effective program.

Retail organizations often establish detailed procedures around cash handling, inventory controls, merchandise protection, receiving, exception reporting and incident documentation. The challenge is making sure those procedures remain part of everyday store operations long after training is completed.

Small inconsistencies can eventually create larger vulnerabilities.

A receiving procedure that is occasionally skipped during busy periods, for example, can make inventory discrepancies more difficult to identify. Inconsistent documentation can limit an investigator’s ability to recognize patterns. Even employees failing to regularly check merchandise protection devices can undermine an otherwise effective investment.

That makes store-level execution an important part of the LP/AP function.

Regular audits can help identify where established procedures are breaking down, but the goal shouldn’t simply be finding violations. Strong programs use audits and operational reviews to understand why compliance is slipping and whether a process is realistic for employees working in an active retail environment.

Training also needs reinforcement. Employees may understand a procedure when they are hired but gradually develop shortcuts as workloads increase or store conditions change. Brief refreshers, manager coaching and clear communication about why a particular control matters can help prevent those shortcuts from becoming standard practice.

Technology can support that effort by highlighting exceptions and identifying locations where unusual patterns warrant additional attention. But technology works best when it complements reliable processes rather than attempting to replace them.

For LP/AP leaders, the takeaway is simple: A complicated program isn’t necessarily a strong program.

Sometimes the biggest opportunity to reduce loss is making sure the controls already in place are understood, practical and consistently followed.


AI Becomes Critical to Retail Operations
New VoCoVo research reveals AI has become critical to the future of food and grocery retail

Retailers turn to AI to combat theft, improve employee safety, and boost frontline productivity, according to new industry report

VoCoVo, the retail in-store team communications specialists, today announced findings from its upcoming report, The State of AI in Food & Grocery Retail 2026, which explores how food and grocery retailers are leveraging artificial intelligence to address some of the industry's most pressing operational challenges, including theft, self-checkout losses, employee safety, and workforce productivity.

Based on a survey of industry leaders, the research highlights growing confidence in AI's ability to improve store operations while helping retailers navigate rising security concerns and workforce challenges.

Among the report's key findings:

• AI is viewed as essential to the future of retail, with every food retailer surveyed and more than 97% of grocery retailers saying the technology is critical to the future of brick-and-mortar stores.

• Retail theft continues to rise, with food retailers reporting a nearly 62% increase in shoplifting since the introduction of self-checkout, while grocery retailers reported an increase of almost 59%.

• Employee abuse remains a significant concern, as more than half of food retailers surveyed said employees have quit because of customer abuse. Nearly one-third of grocery retailers reported the same issue.

• Investment in AI is accelerating, particularly in areas focused on reducing theft, strengthening communication, improving employee training, and providing greater support to frontline teams.

The findings underscore how retailers are increasingly turning to AI-powered technologies not only to improve efficiency, but also to create safer and more productive store environments for employees and shoppers alike. massmarketretailers.com


Russian Retail Giant Under Attack
Why Kyiv keeps attacking Russian retail giant Wildberries

Ukraine has been striking warehouses belonging to Russia's largest online marketplace, saying the attacks disrupt Moscow's military logistics. But experts see wider risks for Russia's economy.

Early Sunday, a fire broke out in a warehouse belonging to Russia's largest online marketplace, Wildberries, in the town of Podolsk, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Moscow. The fire was the result of a large-scale overnight attack by Ukrainian drones, most of which were intercepted by Russian air defenses.

On Friday, Ukraine struck a different Wildberries warehouse, in Tver, north of Moscow. The day before, it had set fire to another warehouse in Salavat, further east.

About 20 Wildberries logistics hubs have been under near-daily attack in the past few weeks. At least nine employees have been confirmed dead, and scores injured, while a handful of the storehouses have halted operations.

The Moscow-based e-commerce consultancy Data Insight estimates Wildberries has lost as much as 480 billion rubles worth of goods ($5.7 billion/€4.9 billion) and about a third of its warehouse space. Combined damaged to the company and its sellers are estimated as high as 800 billion rubles ($9.5 billion). dw.com


ISCPO Welcomes LiveView Technologies (LVT) as Preferred Partner

ISCPO welcomes LVT to Strengthen Perimeter Protection Across Logistics and Distribution Hubs

The International Supply Chain Protection Organization (ISCPO) is proud to announce LVT as its newest Preferred Partner. LVT delivers off-network, AI-driven security solutions that give logistics, distribution, and transportation facilities real-time visibility and rapid deployment flexibility at the perimeter — without dependence on fixed infrastructure. Its enterprise SaaS and hardware-as-a-service platform collects, interprets, and acts on real-time information, helping facilities detect threats early, deter intrusions, and respond faster to incidents at the fence line and beyond.

Together, ISCPO and LVT will collaborate to advance perimeter security across the supply chain and build a best-practice framework to combat rising cargo theft, secure facility perimeters, and protect critical infrastructure. iscpo.org
 

Why Termite Prevention is an Operational Imperative for Retailers
When assessing facility risks, facility managers can tend to focus on equipment breakdowns like roof repairs, HVAC units, or routine maintenance. Yet, a silent threat usually remains overlooked in the crawlspaces, attics, and foundations of commercial spaces. In the United States, termites cause approximately $6.8 billion in annual property damage, a staggering figure that can directly impact the bottom line of commercial property.

For retail operations, the true danger extends far beyond the structural wood of a building. Termites can present an operational challenge that has the potential to affect supply chains, inventory preservation, and brand reputation. Transitioning from reactive maintenance to a strategic prevention model is an essential step in safeguarding your facility. chainstoreage.com

 
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