Adapting to See Change

• By James Lubary
• Mar 25, 2024

Imagine a retail world rapidly transforming, a landscape where the traditional brick-and-mortar model faces the relentless tide of e-commerce. Well, there is no need to imagine as this is 2024, where market losses surpass $112 billion, and the term “retail apocalypse” is not just hyperbole but a stark reality. 

When the industry is closing more physical doors across the nation, it may smell like doom for the traditional model. However, amidst these shifts, opportunities for innovation in loss prevention have never been more significant. And instead of only seeing the obstacles, here are pinpointed areas of potential innovation to combat retail losses.

Harnessing AI for Proactive Loss Prevention
Integrating AI into loss prevention strategies can help retailers identify and mitigate theft preemptively. Technologies like AI-monitored self-checkout systems, embedded RFID sensors and remote deactivation of electronic products not only help automate loss prevention but can also improve customer experience.

Leveraging AI-driven analytics to gain insights into potential risks enables us to act before the loss occurs—not just respond to it​.

Broadening the Scope of Protection
Loss prevention is not just about asset protection but also about safeguarding patrons and colleagues. According to the 2022 National Retail Security survey, there were significant increases in guest-on-associate violence (77.6%) and organized retail crime (70.7%).

With incidents of violence and theft on the rise, expand your focus to include the physical safety of everyone within your retail environments through proactive prevention awareness, education and training. New standards for creating a secure shopping experience might include an anonymous “hotline,” visible notices, anti-theft signage and specialized face-to-face training for employees.

Take an Integrated Approach
Retailers face an ongoing battle against shrink, including losses nearing $100 billion due to retail crime, employee theft, fraud and other illegal activities. Today’s loss prevention strategies must be agile enough to tackle the sophisticated techniques employed by organized retail crime syndicates.

The good news is that security monitoring devices and analytics solutions are becoming more affordable, increasingly comprehensive and easy to implement at scale. Use open-platform technologies to streamline communication between these safeguards, which can quickly adapt to any updates or strategic shifts in your loss prevention ecosystem – whether leveraging a POS data analytics solution to track inventory discrepancies or facial recognition software to combat loss preemptively.

In essence, it is a transformative era for retail loss prevention. Innovative approaches like AI integration, industry collaboration, and a broadened focus on safety are revolutionizing how we protect assets and people. 

By navigating these tumultuous waters, the key takeaway for the retail industry is clear; success belongs to those who not only adapt but also lead the way in innovative loss prevention strategies that safeguard assets and the communities it serves.

This article originally appeared in the March / April 2024 issue of Security Today.