by Jesta I.S. | August 16, 2022
Retail Rendez-Vous is a podcast where technology and retail meet. It features insightful conversations between technology leaders, retail executives and industry experts. Episode 9 is entitled Loss Prevention: Strategies to Combat Rising Retail Crime.
In recent years, retailers have been dealing with an unprecedented level of shrink. The COVID-19 pandemic, job losses, inflation and supply uncertainty have made crime more attractive, and shoplifting and organized retail crime have increased. With the recent surge in cybercrime, some retailers are feeling overwhelmed with trying to safeguard themselves against loss.
Our guest speaker is Rui Rodrigues of RUCA Consulting. Rui Rodrigues is also the executive advisor on loss prevention and risk management at the Retail Council of Canada (RCC). The RCC has been the Voice of Retail in Canada for more than 50 years. The RCC is a not-for-profit, industry-funded association representing more than 45,000 stores of all formats across Canada.
Listen to Episode 9: Loss Prevention, Strategies to Combat Rising Retail Crime. >>
“The increase in crime and aggression has been dictated by many factors including economic times, mental health issues, addictions and so forth,” Rui Rodrigues began. “With people going through rough times, it’s driven the organized crime groups to be able to have more channels that they can sell through, including social media and e-comm platforms that they’ve created that are fraudulent.”
“The biggest concern that retailers are facing right now is the increase in aggressive, violent behavior at a physical location with frontline workers. It’s unprecedented. It’s grown through Covid, but it isn’t going away, it continues,” he added.
“The others have come with the explosion of e-comm growth and different ways to sell to your customer. BOPIS, buy online, pickup in store, curbside, delivery, last-mile channels, they’ve all created opportunities for organized criminals to take advantage to connect with their customers. The demand for stolen merchandise has certainly increased as well.”
The loss prevention podcast goes on to address key questions, including:
• What role does technology play in loss prevention in physical and online stores?
• What key functionalities should retailers be looking for to combat inventory shrink?
• What advice would you give to small and mid-size retailers that don’t have a specialized loss prevention department? Are there areas where they should concentrate first?
• Who can retailers contact for information, advice and guidance?
Tune in to the discussion on demand via your preferred media platform: Anchor, Spotify and YouTube.
Interested in being a guest speaker in an episode of Retail Rendez-Vous? Email Jesta’s Marketing Department at marketing@jestais.com.
