Genetec shares guidance for retailers on ORC

MONTRÉAL – Following a report by the U.S. National Retail Foundation (NRF), Genetec has shared guidance with retailers on protecting their customers, staff, and business as they head into the holiday shopping season.

According to the NRF’s 2023 National Retail Security Survey, 67% of retailers noted an increase in organized retail crime (ORC)-related violence and aggression compared with 2022. A recent Coresight Research report found that consumers are also concerned, with 73% worried that retailers will raise prices to cover the cost of retail theft, and 56% fearing that stores in their communities could be closed due to rising retail crime.

“ORC continues to net significant profits for criminal enterprises, with widely publicized cases like one in which a crime ring stole $20 million in merchandise from retailers in just nine months,” Genetec wrote in a release. “Tactics have become more blatant, with individuals simply entering stores and taking as much merchandise as possible.”

With retailers moving items from open shelves to traditional lock-and-key cases, Genetec said they’re also experimenting with new technologies. One solution available to retailers is securing cases with wireless access control locks connected to their Genetec Security Center system. This deployment lets customers press a button to alert a store associate via the Genetec Mobile app that they’d like to open a case. Video confirms the request, and the store employee can unlock the case remotely. It is then automatically re-locked after the customer has removed the item.

“Retailers are taking steps to address ORC from every angle whether it be to deter would-be criminals, to help law enforcement catch them, or to help prosecutors convict them,” said Scott Thomas, U.S. National Director, Signature Brands, at Genetec. “Technology can support these new tactics and enable closer collaboration with cities and counties to protect their customers and staff and reduce losses.”

More information about the unified Genetec Security Center system is available online at www.genetec.com.