Combating Organized Retail Crime with The National Retail Federation

From headlines about “smash-and-grab” looting at department stores to the now ubiquitous sight of locks on everyday products, organized retail crime (ORC) is fundamentally reshaping the American in-store shopping experience.

As David Johnston, Vice President of Asset Protection and Retail Operations for the National Retail Federation (NRF), explains in the latest episode of Vantage Points, these are not victimless crimes.

• Retail employees are experiencing unprecedented levels of violence in the workplace, with a reported 57% increase in physical assaults on retail workers year-over-year.

• Consumers are inconvenienced by locked-up products while also feeling the impact of rising prices.

• Communities are forced to commit valuable, often strained law enforcement resources to preventing retail loss and in-store violence.

With nearly four decades of experience and a career spanning roles as a frontline security practitioner, a strategic consultant, and a security solution provider, David joins hosts Michael Evanoff and Cari Guittard to discuss the shifting threat landscape facing the retail industry, how security technology is helping to make people and places safer, and where policy changes are needed to effectively stop organized retail crime.

Increased violence for everyday goods

Historically, shoplifting was an invisible, non-confrontational crime characterized by the concealment of goods and a quick getaway. Retailers addressed shoplifting by confronting perpetrators in the act, and individuals often returned the goods when caught, out of fear of prosecution.

Today, organized retail crime has transformed retail theft into bold, well-planned, and violent crimes.

One of the most significant impacts is the rise in violence experienced by store employees. The NRF found 84% of retailers experienced an increase in violence during shoplifting incidents between 2019 and 2023.

“Over the past several years, we’ve started to see more open and brazen thefts, and if you ask any CEO, they’re going to tell you that they are more concerned about the violence against their employees and their customers than the product itself being stolen,” said David.

Notably, this violence isn’t occurring over luxury watches or designer handbags. Organized retail crime organizations are targeting everyday essentials such as razors and baby formula, which can be easily resold through illicit online marketplaces. This means store associates are facing violent threats involving bear spray, knives, and firearms over items that often fall below the felony prosecution threshold.

Combating retail theft and violence with technology

To counter these evolving threats, David emphasizes the importance of moving “left of boom”—the strategic window in which security teams can identify and mitigate threats before an incident occurs.

One of the most prevalent prevention techniques retailers have implemented over the last several years is installing locks on everyday products. Unfortunately, while locks do deter theft and mitigate violence, they also create major frustration for everyday shoppers, with more than half (56%) of US adults agreeing that physical theft-prevention tools frustrate them.

While two-thirds of retailers implemented visible deterrents like locked cases last year, knowing they impact the customer experience, innovative technology is helping to ease that friction. Some brands are now testing “self-serving” cases that allow loyal customers to unlock items via a mobile app, maintaining security without sacrificing convenience.

Modern security cameras are also helping retailers shift to a more proactive security stance. AI-enabled cameras with face matching technology and automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) can identify known persons of interest and past offenders the moment they enter a parking lot and send instant alerts to security teams. Cloud-connected cameras also enable AI-powered search via motion detection, reverse image search, or plain-text descriptions of people or vehicles. This is helpful in setting up alerts after an initial incident and building a long-term case against a repeat offender. With increased visibility, retailers can stay one step ahead of organized retail crime.

Transparency as a key tenet for implementing new technology

Security technology is an invaluable tool for retailers to enhance employee safety and prevent theft, and David points out that impacts to privacy are a critical element to consider when evaluating any new technology. He advocates for transparency with employees and customers about what technology is being used to keep them safe, and importantly, how it’s being used – including any potential data collection. Before fully implementing any new programs, David recommends piloting technologies to understand their impact on your unique store environment. Overall, he sees technology as a key solution to combating retail theft and violence.

“We have to look at technology not as being fearful of it, but as, where does it have its place in every organization. And it may have to be different in one organization than another, but again, it is necessary if we want to make sure that we are there to protect our people and our profit,” said David.

Advocating for policy changes

A core pillar of the NRF’s mission is ensuring that lawmakers understand the local impact of these national trends. This year, the NRF has brought loss prevention leaders directly to D.C. to share the “everyday reality” of store violence with legislators. This advocacy is fueling support for the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, which was reintroduced to Congress in early 2025 with significant bipartisan support.

If passed, this legislation would establish a coordination center within the Department of Homeland Security to bridge the gap between local police and federal investigators. It would also allow prosecutors to aggregate multiple thefts committed over a 12-month period, making it easier to bring federal charges against professional rings even if individual thefts are small. Furthermore, it targets “digital fences” by expanding laws to cover the digital gift cards and online marketplaces used to launder the proceeds of stolen goods.

Ultimately, these legislative efforts represent a fundamental shift in how the justice system views retail theft: moving away from treating incidents as isolated petty crimes and toward recognizing them as coordinated criminal enterprises. By advocating for federal oversight and the ability to aggregate offenses, the NRF is working to ensure that the legal framework matches the sophistication of the criminals. As these policy changes take hold, they will provide law enforcement and prosecutors with the teeth needed to dismantle professional rings, shifting the burden of safety off the shoulders of store associates and back onto a unified national defense.

Key Takeaways

• Retail workers are seeing increased incidents of violence: Retail crime has evolved from an “invisible” act of individual shoplifting into a brazen, professionalized operation, leading to an increase in violence against retail workers. Retail leaders are now more worried about the physical safety of their employees than the actual items being stolen.

• Organized retail criminals target everyday essentials: Organized Retail Crime (ORC) rings are increasingly focused on everyday goods like food and baby formula rather than luxury items. These products are in high demand, can be easily resold through illicit online marketplaces, and often fall below the felony prosecution threshold, making them high-profit/low-risk targets for criminals.

• Moving “left of boom” with AI technology: To stay ahead of repeat offenders, retailers are shifting toward a preventative posture. By integrating AI-enabled cameras, License Plate Recognition (LPR), and facial recognition technology (FRT), security teams can set up their systems to send real-time alerts the moment a known person of interest enters a property, allowing them to mitigate threats before an incident occurs.

• The power of policy to prevent retail crime: A major hurdle in stopping ORC is that individual thefts are often kept small to avoid felony charges. The proposed Combating Organized Retail Crime Act seeks to change this by allowing prosecutors to aggregate multiple thefts over a 12-month period and target the professional criminal rings that rely on high-volume, small-scale theft.