How Can Smarter Technology Help Restore Safety and Trust As the Retail Crime Crisis Deepens?

‍The State of Retail Crime in 2025

Retail theft has reached critical levels across the United States, according to the National Retail Federation’s 2025 Impact of Retail Theft & Violence Report. The study, based on survey data from major retail chains, reveals that incidents of theft and violence are not only rising, they’re evolving in sophistication and scale.

Between 2023 and 2024, retailers reported an 18% increase in shoplifting incidents and a 12% rise in merchandise theft. These back-to-back double-digit increases show that conventional deterrents and policies are struggling to keep up with increasingly organized and aggressive offenders.

Violence tied to theft is also on the rise. The report found a 17% jump in threats or acts of violence associated with shoplifting and theft, as well as a 16% increase in incidents involving weapons. Nearly three-quarters of respondents said shoplifters are exhibiting higher levels of aggression and hostility than in previous years.

Organized Retail Crime: A Coordinated, Expanding Threat

Organized retail crime (ORC) remains a top concern for retailers. The NRF report highlights how ORC groups now operate across both physical and digital environments, blending tactics like shoplifting, e-commerce fraud, and cargo theft into large-scale, coordinated operations.

Over the past year:

• 70% of retailers reported increases in phone scams
  
  
• 55% reported an increase in digital and e-commerce fraud
  
  
• 52% experienced an increase in merchandise theft
  
  
• 50% noted an increase in cargo or supply chain theft tied to organized criminal networks
  
  
• 67% of retailers said transnational ORC groups were involved in thefts against their businesses
   

Organized retail crimes aren’t isolated, local incidents. They’re often highly coordinated, international crimes that demand equally coordinated responses.

Yet, that response remains uneven. Retailers cite a persistent shortage of law enforcement and prosecutorial resources, alongside fragmented reporting systems that hinder the tracking and prosecution of offenders across jurisdictions. Each retailer, agency, and municipality records incidents differently, creating gaps that organized groups exploit.

The Rising Human Cost of Violence

While the financial losses are staggering, the personal toll on retail workers and customers is just as devastating. 

“Rising retail theft and in-store violence have severely undermined the psychological safety of both employees—who increasingly fear for their wellbeing—and customers, who feel less secure while shopping,” said Flock Safety’s Vice President of Retail Strategy, Oscar Arango.  

That loss of safety, he continues, has ripple effects far beyond the sales floor. 

“This erosion of safety damages brand reputation, as stores once seen as welcoming now appear risky or over-secured, driving shoppers toward competitors or online options. The resulting decline in customer trust, higher operating costs, and store closures can lead to lower sales and profit margins, which in turn may weaken stock performance and investor confidence.”

Retailers are responding where they can. The NRF report found that 63% of companies have increased management training on handling threats or violence, while 60% have expanded employee training on workplace safety. But even with these measures in place, most say the frequency and intensity of violent incidents continue to climb, creating a cycle that drains morale, budgets, and public confidence.

Technology as the Turning Point

The NRF’s findings make one thing clear: retailers can’t tackle this challenge alone. As criminals become increasingly organized, retailers are turning to technology that enables them to identify patterns, respond more quickly, and collaborate more effectively with law enforcement.

“Flock helps retailers close security gaps with a full suite of smart technology that gives them better visibility, faster response times, and stronger partnerships with law enforcement,” said Arango.

“Along with license plate readers and vehicle recognition, Flock’s cameras, analytics, and real-time alerts show what’s happening around parking lots, loading zones, and store entrances, helping teams spot and stop suspicious activity before it becomes a bigger problem.”

Beyond real-time awareness, Flock’s AI-driven tools can identify vehicles linked to repeat offenders and organized groups. 

“Our AI tools surface patterns and trends that might go unnoticed,” said Arango. “When something does happen, Flock makes it easy to pull clear, shareable evidence that speeds up investigations and helps law enforcement close cases.”

The NRF report emphasizes that collaboration is essential. Many retailers identified multi-jurisdictional cooperation and technology-enabled intelligence-sharing as critical next steps for reducing both theft and violence.

A Safer Future Through Accountability and Connection

The NRF’s 2025 report is clear: theft and violence are escalating, accountability is lagging, and the consequences are multiplying. But with smarter, data-connected systems, retailers can begin to reverse those trends.

“The NRF’s findings make it clear that shoplifters are becoming more aggressive and that the level of violence isn’t easing, largely because there’s too little accountability,” said Arango. “By leveraging technology like Flock’s networked cameras, vehicle recognition, and real-time data tools, retailers can start to change that. These systems help identify patterns, capture actionable evidence, and support law enforcement in holding bad actors accountable.”

Ultimately, the goal is to prevent loss and to restore a sense of trust among employees, customers, and the broader community. “The result is a safer environment for both shoppers and staff,” said Arango. “And a step toward rebuilding confidence and stability across the retail industry.”