Retailers Say Organized Retail Crime Rates Continue to Rise

The National Retail Federation’s (NRF) ninth annual Organized Retail Crime (ORC) Survey found 93.5 percent of retailers say they have been victims of organized retail crime in the past year, down slightly from 96.0 percent in 2012. For the past three years, more than 90 percent of the retailers surveyed said they were victims of this type of crime, and eight in 10 say organized retail crime in the U.S. has increased over the past three years.

“We are extremely concerned by the organized patterns that are taking place in the retail industry right now as these crime gangs continue to find ways to maneuver the system,” said NRF Vice President of Loss Prevention Rich Mellor.

“Though retailers continue to make great strides in their fight against organized retail crime, savvy, unconscionable criminals are selling stolen merchandise for a profit that doesn’t belong to them. With the types of organized retail crimes changing in severity each year, retailers remain vigilant in their fight against organized retail crime.”

The likelihood of thieves resorting to violence to avoid being apprehended is also a reported concern among survey respondents: Retailers say on average two in 10 apprehensions lead to some level of violence, up from 15.2 percent last year and 13.0 percent in 2011.

However, thanks to organized methods of communication between retailers and law enforcement, awareness among law enforcement officials is at an all-time high. According to the survey, nearly half of retailers say they believe law enforcement understands the complexity and severity of organized retail crime, up from 40.0 percent last year and the highest percent reported in the five years of asking this question.