SAF Wednesday E-Brief - 06/13/2007 (Plain Text Version)
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Organized Retail Crime Increases
Organized retail crime, which includes infractions from identity theft to shoplifting, is getting worse, despite the fact that awareness of the problem is at an all-time high, according to a new survey by the National Retail Federation (NRF). "Despite retailers' best efforts, organized retail crime continues to proliferate in stores around the country," says NRF Vice President of Loss Prevention Joseph LaRocca. "Organized retail crime rings are sophisticated and smart, but with the partnerships created between retailers and law enforcement agencies, retailers have a real chance at stopping these criminals dead in their tracks." Nearly 80 percent of respondents said their company has been a victim of organized retail crime within the past year. The survey also found that one out of 10 retailers spends more than $1 million dollars annually on organized retail crime prevention. Other highlights from the survey include: • 71 percent of retailers have noticed an increase in organized retail theft activity in the past year, up from 48 percent in 2006. • 61 percent of retailers have identified or recovered stolen merchandise from a fence location (such as a pawn shop), up from 59 percent last year. About 71 percent have recovered stolen merchandise from an online operation, up from 67 percent last year. • Almost 60 percent of retailers said their company's top management understands the issue, compared to 41 percent in 2006. Read the full survey results here. -- Mary Westbrook
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