Loss Prevention & Security


  • A general view of the exterior of the branch of retailer Marks and Spencer at Westfield White City on October 20, 2020 in London, England. Marks & Spencer said customer data was accessed in an April 2025 cyberattack.
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    Leon Neal via Getty Images
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    Marks & Spencer restores some online-order operations following cyberattack

    The department store chain was one of the first targets in an international spree of attacks disrupting retailers.

    By David Jones • June 11, 2025
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Column

    The Weekly Closeout: Nike appoints innovation chief and retailers face cyberattacks

    The athletics retailer filled in the role behind John Hoke, while Victoria’s Secret, Adidas and The North Face have recently reported security breaches.

    By Retail Dive Staff • June 6, 2025
  • Products are locked up at a Target store in Manhattan in New York City. Explore the Trendline
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    Spencer Platt / Staff via Getty Images
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    Trendline

    The state of loss prevention in retail

    The types of losses attributed to retail theft has become more apparent — as is the need for more in-depth reporting and prevention strategies. 

    By Retail Dive staff
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    Courtesy of Dollar General
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    Shrink down, margins up at Dollar General a year after removing nearly all self-checkout

    The discounter expects to raise prices “as a last resort” as tariffs and the economy replace lost merchandise as its major concerns.

    By June 3, 2025
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Victoria’s Secret postpones earnings following security incident

    The company provided preliminary Q1 results, but a shutdown of its website during “retail’s all-important Memorial Day weekend” was a “significant problem,” according to analysts. 

    By June 3, 2025
  • A woman in Puma running shoes sits on a bench.
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    Permission granted by Puma
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    Nike, Under Armour among shoe brands urging tariff exemptions as back-to-school looms

    About 80 companies signed a letter from the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America to President Trump, warning that “inventory for U.S. consumers may soon run low.”

    By May 5, 2025
  • Cargo theft reaching record levels, prompting calls for congressional action

    “I've never seen cargo theft this prevalent,” Robert Howell, chief supply chain officer at Academy Sports and Outdoors, said during a hearing.

    By Alejandra Carranza • March 10, 2025
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    Kendall Davis/Retail Dive
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    Podcast

    The Backroom: ‘Foes of a Minimum Wage Guard’

    Playwright Ken Harris talks about how his loss prevention experience informs his award-winning play, and gives his unique perspective on shrink and theft.

    By Retail Dive Staff • Feb. 27, 2025
  • A customer pays for a purchase at a clothing store
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    gorodenkoff via Getty Images
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    What retailers can expect in 2025

    As a new year kicks off, the industry is up against challenges concerning tariffs, DEI policies and crime.

    By Retail Dive Staff • Jan. 31, 2025
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    CVS launches app that lets shoppers access locked-up merchandise

    The company is testing the feature in a few stores to address a customer pain point that has come to the fore as retailers attempt to thwart thieves.

    By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Jan. 29, 2025
  • Beauty products locked up at a Target store in Washington, DC.
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    Kaarin Vembar/Retail Dive
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    Where the fight against retail crime goes in 2025

    As the industry still struggles to measure and mitigate shrink, there’s now less data than ever.

    By Jan. 29, 2025
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    Leon Neal via Getty Images
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    8 retail trends to watch in 2025

    Each year brings unique headwinds and tailwinds. From increased attention on DEI efforts to the shifting nature of DTC, this is what we’ll be following in 2025.

    By Retail Dive Staff • Jan. 7, 2025
  • A black and white police car is parked in front of a Walmart store at night
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    Nate Delesline III/Retail Dive
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    Walmart tests in-store body cameras for employees

    The retailer is embarking on the pilot program in the name of safety. But one industry advocacy group says higher staffing and improved safety training and protocols are needed.

    By Nate Delesline III • Dec. 18, 2024
  • People walking by stores and crossing the street in a city, with a small red car in a wide crosswalk.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Deep Dive

    Nordstrom and Macy’s abandoned the ‘retail inventory method’ after using it for decades. Here’s why.

    The accounting practice, embraced by department stores in the 1920s, is outdated, skews key metrics and fosters bad decisions, analysts say.

    By Dec. 16, 2024
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    Sam Silverstein/Retail Dive
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    Shrink down at Dollar General after backing away from self-checkout

    Hurricanes took a toll in the third quarter and into the fourth, leading the discounter to lower its guidance slightly for the year.

    By Dec. 5, 2024
  • Mailed packaging pouches rest atop cardboard box packages on the front porch in front of a home
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    SDI Productions via Getty Images
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    Consumers have a new option as millions of packages are swiped from porches each year

    PorchPals is an insurance product that could shake up coverage for a problem that has only escalated with the growth of e-commerce.

    By Dec. 3, 2024
  • Counterfeit Gibson Les Paul guitars are displayed by U.S. Customs and Border protection officials at a news conference.
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    Permission granted by Gibson
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    Federal agents seize 3K counterfeit Gibson guitars

    If the musical instruments were genuine, law enforcement and company officials said the guitars, which arrived via ocean freight, would be worth about $18 million.

    By Nate Delesline III • Dec. 2, 2024
  • A big red sign on the side of a large department store building.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Macy’s delays full Q3 report over millions in fraudulent expense accounting

    Starting in 2021 an employee hid $132 million to $154 million in delivery expenses, a disclosure overshadowing an otherwise decent quarter.

    By Nov. 25, 2024
  • A cityscape of skyscrapers and commercial buildings around State Street Bridge in Chicago.
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    tunart via Getty Images
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    Shoplifting on the rise this year, report shows

    Two widely different sets of FBI data underscore the need for better information on theft, however, according to Council on Criminal Justice researchers. That includes better reporting from retailers.

    By Nov. 20, 2024
  • People milling about in front of a store, with trees on each side.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    REI changes policy to stop serial returners

    The outdoor gear cooperative said other tactics to curb the misuse of its returns policy by a small number of members were ineffective.

    By Nate Delesline III • Nov. 18, 2024
  • The entrance to a downtown mall, with people walking by.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Auction of struggling San Francisco Centre mall postponed

    The property, previously anchored by a Nordstrom flagship that left last year and now more than $625 million in default, was set to be sold Thursday.

    By Nov. 18, 2024
  • Locked up merchandise at a grocery store.
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    Edwin Lopez/Retail Dive
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    27% of shoppers will switch retailers, abandon purchase if they come across locked-up products: report

    More than half of consumers report seeing more merchandise locked up in stores in the past year, according to a recent survey from Numerator.

    By Howard Ruben • Nov. 6, 2024
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    Daria Nipot via Getty Images
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    Amazon, Google sue over ‘fake review website’

    The dual complaints in federal court target sellers of fake reviews for retailers and local businesses that market on the web giants.

    By Justin Bachman • Nov. 5, 2024
  • NRF and retail advocates on Capitol Hill for Fight Retail Crime Day 2023.
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    Courtesy of NRF
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    As the 118th Congress winds up its session, the National Retail Federation continues its push against retail crime

    The trade group is holding its third straight “Fight Retail Crime Day” amid ongoing questions surrounding the scope of shrink and theft.

    By Oct. 24, 2024
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    Ablestock via Getty Images
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    After more than 3 decades, NRF won’t publish its annual shrink report this year

    The National Retail Federation’s surveys on inventory lost to crime, errors and more have provided statistics on an issue in focus for retailers.

    By Oct. 7, 2024
  • A diverse group of people stand around a table where a person in a blue pantsuit signs papers.
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    Courtesy of Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union
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    Retail workers hail New York’s new panic-button law

    But the bill signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul, which requires a host of safety measures to address store-based crime, was opposed by key trade groups.

    By Sept. 6, 2024