The Growing Threat of Organized Retail Crime

Contact Your Elected Officials
The Epoch Times Header

The massive wave of retail thefts in the United States over the past two years have become a major challenge for both the retail industry and law enforcement.

Weakened law enforcement policies and lesser penalties for these criminal bandit gangs have hit a critical juncture, as crime in the United States has hit proportions not seen in three decades.

The number of increasingly professional organized retail crime (ORC) rings and their frequent attacks have reached crisis scale, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF) in a Sept. 14 report.

These crimes have hurt thousands of businesses and have contributed to higher prices for consumers and loss of key retailers in many communities, as countless stores have closed to due to lack of security.

โ€œThe factors contributing to retail shrink have multiplied in recent years, and organized retail crime is a burgeoning threat within the retail industry,โ€ said Mark Meadows, NRF vice president for research development and industry analysis.

โ€œThese highly sophisticated criminal rings jeopardize employee and customer safety and disrupt store operations. Retailers are bolstering security efforts to counteract these increasingly dangerous and aggressive criminal activities.โ€

A Spike in Organized Thievery

According to the 2022 National Retail Security Survey, issued by NRF, the total loss of stolen goods hit $94.5 billion by the end of 2021, up from losses of $90.8 billion in 2020.

The NRF found that the average shrink rate in losses for 2021 was 1.44 percent, a slight decline from the previous two years, but comparable to the five-year average of 1.5 percent.

Acts of fraud are being reported across all venues, ranging from brick-and-mortar stores, e-commerce, and omni-channel platforms since 2020.

A sudden increase store violence is another growing area of concern, such as random attacks on store personnel, robberies, and ORC gangs.

The majority of surveyed retailers reported aย 89.3 percent increase in violence and a 73.2 percent uptick in shoplifting.

Byย Bryan Jung

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

Corrupted Medical Societies Push SSRIs For Pregnant Women in Defiance of FDA

A recent expert panel organized by the FDA cast doubt on the safety of SSRIs โ€” even though these drugs are largely considered safe by healthcare providers.

The โ€œTrump Bridgeโ€ Could Lead To Russiaโ€™s Expulsion From The South Caucasus

If agreed to, and the report remains unconfirmed for now, the โ€œTrump Bridgeโ€ could lead to Russiaโ€™s expulsion from the South Caucasus.

Sweeney Swoon

Sydney Sweeney donned American Eagle jeans and hawked them as part the "Sydney's got great jeans" campaign, and the Left acted like she'd committed an atrocity.

Lay Democrats to Waste, Post Truths in Copy and Paste!

Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) humorously stated, โ€œOur secret plan for dealing with the Democrats is called, โ€˜Operation: Let them speak.โ€™โ€

Congress doesnโ€™t Care What the Average Person Thinks

In researching voting rights issues, a study provides a foundation for the statement โ€œgovernment officials donโ€™t care what people like them think.โ€

5 Injured in Active Shooter Incident at Georgiaโ€™s Fort Stewart, Officials Say

An โ€œactive shooterโ€ was reported at Fort Stewart in Georgia and casualties were reported, prompting the U.S. Army base to go on lockdown, officials said.

ICE Officers in LA Barred From Impersonating Local Police in Home Arrests

Federal immigration officers in Southern California are now barred from posing as local police or using other deceptive tactics to conduct home arrests.

Roblox, Discord Sued Over Alleged Grooming, Kidnapping of 10-Year-Old Girl

Roblox and Discord sued by father of 10-year-old girl for โ€œrecklessly and deceptively operating businessesโ€ allegedly leading to childโ€™s kidnapping.

Airlines Using Personalized AI Ticket Pricing Would Face Probe: Transportation Secretary

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy criticized the potential use of artificial intelligence (AI) to personalize airline ticket prices.

Trump Raises India Tariffs to 50 Percent Over Russian Oil Imports

Trump imposed additional 25% tariff on India, lifting total rate to 50%, as Indiaโ€™s government directly or indirectly imports Russian Federation oil.

HHS Cancels 22 MRNA Vaccine Development Contracts

mRNA vaccine development contracts are being canceled and redirected because vaccines fail to protect against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu.

Vance โ€˜Probably Favored at This Pointโ€™ for 2028 Nomination, Trump Says

Trump said Vance โ€œmost likelyโ€ leading contender to carry MAGA torch in 2028, calling him โ€œprobably favoredโ€ to become Republican presidential frontrunner.

Trump to Sign Order Penalizing Banks That Discriminate Against Conservatives

President Trump confirmed that he will sign an EO aimed at penalizing banks he claims have discriminated against conservatives, including himself.
spot_img

Related Articles