Loss Prevention & Security


  • A Bassett Furniture storefront.
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    The image by Mike Mozart is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    Bassett Furniture temporarily shuts down manufacturing facilities following cyberattack

    Although customers can still place orders and purchase products, the furniture company’s ability to fulfill orders is currently impacted. 

    By July 18, 2024
  • Rite Aid storefront.
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    Courtesy of Rite Aid
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    Rite Aid confirms cybersecurity breach

    The drugstore retailer stated that customer’s Social Security numbers, financial information and patient information was not impacted.

    By July 16, 2024
  • A Dollar General storefront at dawn or dusk with an empty parking lot
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    Permission granted by Dollar General
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    Dollar General agrees to settle OSHA safety violations for $12M

    The agreement with federal regulators requires the retailer to reduce its inventory and improve stocking efficiency to avoid safety hazards like blocked emergency exits and access to fire extinguishers.

    By July 12, 2024
  • A Nike storefront at The Grove shopping center in Los Angeles, California.
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    Cara Salpini/Retail Dive
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    Nike, Converse sue 52 ‘counterfeiting networks’

    The businesses named in the lawsuit collectively operate 98 websites and 267 social media handles, and allegedly sell “thousands” of fakes.

    By June 20, 2024
  • Items are locked behind cabinets in a Walgreens aisle
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    How retailers can fight theft without hurting customer experience

    Locked cases drive potential customers to online alternatives. Helpful associates assist customers while inconveniencing crooks.

    By Bryan Wassel • June 13, 2024
  • Two police officers in front of a big box store, amid trees and cars.
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    Marc Piscotty via Getty Images
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    Do retailers need active assailant insurance?

    Stores and shopping centers are increasingly vulnerable to the death and destruction caused by mass shooters in the U.S.

    By June 12, 2024
  • A Dollar General sign and brick storefront on a cloudy day with the company's signature black on yellow logo
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    Permission granted by Dollar General
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    Dollar General to eliminate ‘vast majority’ of self-checkout, reduce new store openings

    Despite a 6% Q1 net sales rise and performance that beat analyst expectations, shrink remains a significant headwind, CEO says.

    By May 31, 2024
  • A woman puts clothing into an RFID self-checkout kiosk
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    Thai Liang Lim via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    Why more tech in stores shouldn’t mean fewer workers

    Stores can automate more tasks than ever, including pricing, inventory management and checkout. But for theft prevention, customer service and brand engagement, they need humans.

    By April 10, 2024
  • Outside storefront image of The Home Depot
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    Courtesy of The Home Depot
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    Home Depot confirms breach of employee data

    The retailer said a vendor error led to the exposure of identifiable information of some employees.

    By April 9, 2024
  • Exterior of Woolworths store
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    Quinn Rooney via Getty Images
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    Battling shrink and theft across the globe

    Retailers are trying numerous strategies — from technology to teamwork — to minimize losses.

    By Peyton Bigora • April 8, 2024
  • Deep Dive

    What is ‘organized retail crime,’ exactly?

    It depends, and it doesn't help that many retailers don’t have a good handle on lost inventory, experts say.

    By April 3, 2024
  • A Five Below employee assists a customer at the checkout counter
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    Courtesy of Five Below
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    Five Below scales back self-checkout to fight shrink

    Hiring more store associates will improve customer service and help fight what executives said was an unexpectedly high level of inventory loss.

    By March 21, 2024
  • A quotation mark on a blue background.
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    Kendall Davis/Retail Dive
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    Podcast

    The Backroom: The story behind our stories on shrink and theft

    When the National Retail Federation retracted a theft claim following our coverage of its special report on crime, the news went viral. Here’s what it took to get the story.

    By Retail Dive Staff • Feb. 29, 2024
  • A rack of denim jeans with white store tags clipped to them.
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    FeelPic via Getty Images
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    RFID has been around for decades. Now it’s becoming retailers’ best crime-fighting tool.

    The tech has long been used for inventory management, but is being affixed to more merchandise and yielding more data.

    By Feb. 21, 2024
  • A posted sign warns that security cameras are in use.
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    andipantz via Getty Images
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    Most shoplifting is not organized retail crime: report

    As store traffic picked up since the pandemic, so has shoplifting, though there were fewer reports last year than in 2019, per the Council on Criminal Justice.

    By Jan. 26, 2024
  • A group of people stand in a store, talking.
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    Courtesy of RILA
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    Deep Dive

    7 reasons why everyone’s confused about shrink and theft

    There’s even less data about retail crime now that the National Retail Federation has retracted a key claim about its impact. What’s going on?

    By Jan. 24, 2024
  • A closeup of a white "Vans" sign, below a red-trimmed window, reflecting a blue-gray sky.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    VF Corp. cyberattack impacted 35.5M consumers

    The North Face and Vans parent company originally reported the incident at the height of the holiday season.

    By Jan. 23, 2024
  • Customers can pass through an AI-powered scanner at the exit of Sam's Club
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    Permission granted by Sam's Club
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    Sam’s Club to bring AI-based receipt verification to all stores

    The technology will eliminate the need for receipt checkers, freeing up associates to spend time with customers.

    By Jan. 11, 2024
  • Woman shopping denim jeans in a clothing store
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    lechatnoir via Getty Images
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    7 retail trends to watch in 2024

    From economic pressures weighing on consumers to relocating stores away from malls, here’s what’s on retailers’ minds heading into the new year.

    By Retail Dive Staff • Jan. 8, 2024
  • A Rite Aid pharmacy storefront
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    Permission granted by Rite Aid
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    Rite Aid banned from use of facial recognition tech for 5 years

    The company’s “reckless” use of the technology harmed customers, the FTC said.

    By Dec. 20, 2023
  • People walk past the exterior of a Timberland storefront.
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    Matthew Eisman/Getty Images for Pandora Media via Getty Images
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    VF Corp. reports stolen data from cybersecurity incident

    The attack last week has impacted the apparel conglomerate’s ability to fulfill orders.

    By Laurel Deppen • Dec. 18, 2023
  • Member of Congress calls for better data on organized retail crime and other theft

    In testimony endorsing a bill that would have the Department of Homeland Security tackle organized retail crime, the National Retail Federation left out its previous statistics on its impact.

    By Dec. 13, 2023
  • Squishmallow's collection with H&M.
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    Courtesy of Squishmallows
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    Column

    The Weekly Closeout: Claire’s expands into Mexico and Squishmallows collabs with H&M

    The accessories retailer opened a store in Mexico City, while the toy company, known for its plush stuffed animals, teamed up with H&M for a collection.

    By Retail Dive Staff • Dec. 8, 2023
  • A group of people in suits standing behind a sign that reads "Fighting retail crime." The U.S. Capitol is in the background.
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    Courtesy of the National Retail Federation
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    NRF updates crime report to address faulty numbers

    The group said it didn’t realize an outside assessment of organized retail crime had used an old NRF estimate of total inventory loss, including loss unrelated to theft.

    By Dec. 4, 2023
  • Staples store in Studio City, Ca.
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    GDMatt66 via Getty Images
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    Staples hit by cyberattack during critical Cyber Week sales push

    The office supply retailer expects to fully catch up on back orders after online processing and deliveries were briefly disrupted.

    By David Jones • Dec. 4, 2023