Time to shift focus back on to the retail floor. And this time, it's not just kids swiping video games.The FBI recently reported that Organized Retail Crime (ORC) losses are up to $30 Billion a year - not chump change. I guess it makes sense, because it's easier than ever to buy and sell bulk goods in this day and age. Drug stores are being hit the hardest, with over the counter medicine and products being the largest targets.
What's interesting to me is the level of organization and expertise the criminals (boosters) are showing. To be successful, you need to obtain large amounts of merchandise and be able to sell it to discount retailers eventually. So, groups of boosters are skillfully distracting store staff, thwarting theft systems and walking out the door with bags full of product, and moving on to the next mark. "In as little as five minutes, they can sweep several shelves and walk out
carrying a bag loaded with several thousand dollars in stolen merchandise. Their targets are typically small but expensive items like Prilosec, Oil of Olay, Braun toothbrush heads, Xantac, Claritin, diet pills and more.
They manage to pass undetected through store security because their bags are lined with special aluminum foil that keeps the alarm tags on the stolen merchandise from going off.
Others push products out in the bottom of baby carriages or even in shopping carts, claiming that a friend is in line paying for it." - SecurityInfoWatch (article)
I know I'll also be keeping my eye out for new technology developed to target shoplifting. Not much activity in that arena for some time, so with ORC back in the limelight maybe we'll see some new and exciting developments.
