A new study from the National Retail Federation (NRF), conducted in collaboration with the Loss Prevention Research Council and sponsored by Sensormatic Solutions, highlights a significant rise in retail theft and violence since the pre-COVID era.
The report, titled The Impact of Retail Theft & Violence 2024, outlines the challenges retailers face as they address increasing threats to their operations, employees, and customers.
Rising Theft and Financial Losses
The study reports a 93% increase in shoplifting incidents from 2019 to 2023, with a 90% rise in related dollar losses. Retailers surveyed experienced an average of 177 shoplifting incidents per day in 2023, though figures can exceed 1,000 in certain retail sectors.
David Johnston, NRF Vice President for Asset Protection and Retail Operations, emphasised the need for collaboration to address this trend:
“Protecting store associates and customers, coupled with reducing today’s levels of violence and retail crime, requires a whole-community approach and collaboration across all stakeholders.”
Escalating Violence in Retail
The study highlights growing concerns over violence, with 73% of respondents reporting increased aggression and violence from shoplifters in 2023 compared to the prior year. When compared to 2019, 91% of respondents observed a rise in violent incidents.
In response, 71% of retailers have increased budgets for employee training on workplace violence prevention, reflecting efforts to improve safety across retail environments.
Tony D’Onofrio, President of Sensormatic Solutions, called for the use of technology to tackle retail crime:
“Retailers and solution providers must work together to build and drive technology that goes beyond thwarting theft in the moment to predicting it, so we can proactively lower the chance of violence by mitigating crime.”
Organised Retail Crime on the Rise
Organised retail crime (ORC) continues to present challenges for the industry. Nearly two-thirds (62%) of respondents noted an increase in theft involving groups of two or three individuals, and 76% said shoplifting linked to ORC was a growing concern compared to last year.
Retailers equipped to track ORC incidents reported a 57% increase in such crimes from 2022 to 2023. To address the issue, 94% of retailers said federal legislation is essential. The NRF is advocating for the passage of the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act to strengthen coordination between federal, state, and local law enforcement.
Dr. Read Hayes, Executive Director of the Loss Prevention Research Council, highlighted the need for continued development of asset protection strategies:
“The retail industry is working in lockstep with the research community and solutions providers to develop, test, and improve the next generation of asset protection tools and strategies in the ongoing battle against ORC.”
Study Details
The findings are based on a survey conducted from June 10 to July 12, 2023, among senior loss prevention and security executives at 164 retail brands. These companies represent $1.52 trillion in annual sales—accounting for 30% of total retail sales—and include a range of sectors such as specialty and luxury retail, grocery, pharmacy, mass merchandise, and home improvement.
The full report, The Impact of Retail Theft & Violence 2024, is available online.
