WASHINGTON – Retailers are seeing traditional shoplifting decline, but organized retail crime is evolving, with fraud schemes and other forms of external theft continuing to rise, according to the National Retail Federation’s 2026 Impact of Retail Theft & Violence report.
The report was produced by NRF in partnership with the Loss Prevention Research Council and sponsored by Sensormatic Solutions. The study draws on survey responses from 66 retail companies representing 143 brands and approximately $1.7 trillion in annual retail sales, offering a broad snapshot of theft, fraud, and workplace safety trends across the retail industry.
The study found that shoplifting incidents fell by 12.4% and retail merchandise theft declined by 8.1% in 2025 compared with the previous year. At the same time, retailers reported increases in phone scams (69%), loyalty fraud (51%), gift card theft and fraud (42%), repeat offenders (50%), and organized retail crime incidents (40%).
“After years of rising in-store theft, retailers are beginning to see levels stabilize, driven by investments in technology and employee training to strengthen store security and improve response to these crimes,” said David Johnston, NRF vice president for asset protection and retail operations. “However, significant challenges remain as organized criminals continue to exploit vulnerabilities throughout the retail environment.”
The report credits retailers’ investments in security technology, enhanced surveillance, and employee training for helping reduce traditional shoplifting, while noting that criminals are increasingly shifting to more sophisticated fraud and theft schemes spanning both physical and digital retail channels.
Violence also remains a concern, prompting retailers to expand workplace safety efforts through management training, employee education, and risk-intelligence technologies.
NRF is urging the U.S. Senate to pass the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, which the organization says would improve coordination among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to better combat organized retail crime networks.
View the Impact of Retail Theft & Violence 2026 study
Submit Your Press Release
Have news to share? Send us your press releases and announcements.
Send Press Release
