888.808.6970 SHOP NOW ABOUT US SOLUTIONS FREE RESOURCES BLOG CONTACT US You are here: Home / Blog / News / Targets, Trends and Threats in ORC Webinar: What You Need to Know About... Targets, Trends and Threats in ORC Webinar: What You Need to Know About Organized Retail Crime in 2021 and Beyond November 2, 2021/ CONTROLTEK recently partnered with the Loss Prevention Foundation to present the webinar “Targets, Trends and Threats in ORC” with co-host Ben Dugan, director of ORC and corporate investigations at CVS Health and president of the National Coalition of Law Enforcement and Retailer (C.L.E.A.R.), and Tom Meehan, CFI, chief strategy officer, and chief information security officer at CONTROLTEK. Short for organized retail crime, ORC has moved to the forefront of the conversation in retail. In fact, Dugan and Meehan both agree that ORC is the most dangerous security threat in the retail industry today. Many retailers consider organized retail crime to be one of their biggest challenges, with many companies unable to meet their profit goals because of the losses caused by ORC. Since 2020, we have seen a huge increase in ORC, fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic and an increased shift to e-commerce. One of the major issues in the fight against organized retail crime is the ongoing controversy between ehttps://www.controltekusa.com/blog/fake-vaccination-cards-spread-as-delta-variant-ramps-up/-commerce platforms like Amazon and eBay and retailers and law enforcement, who claim that these platforms facilitate the sale of stolen goods by failing to verify sellers. The increase in organized retail crime has huge costs across the retail industry. Dugan reported that external thefts involving violence have doubled at CVS Health since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Wall Street Journal reported that retailers like Target, Ulta Beauty, TJX, and Home Depot have seen the number of investigations into criminal networks grow by 86 percent since 2016. Organized retail crime has become such a huge challenge for retailers that it has surpassed loss prevention, and even the C-suite is now prioritizing combatting ORC in order to protect profitability. C.L.E.A.R. estimates that organized retail crime results in $45 billion in annual losses for retailers, a significant increase from the FBI’s estimate of $30 billion a decade ago. Today, retailers spend millions of dollars to combat organized retail crime groups that steal their merchandise and sell it online through e-commerce platforms. According to C.L.E.A.R., 100 percent of retailers surveyed reported being victims of ORC. Organized retail crime has also surpassed other sources of retail shrink. Today, the cost of ORC exceeds that of internal employee theft, and according to Dugan, external theft makes up 60 to 65 percent of retail theft. Although investigating cases of organized retail crime does reduce shrink, it’s not a sustainable long-term solution without any major preventative efforts, such as widespread collaboration between retailers and law enforcement and even creating new legislation. As mentioned earlier, the rise in online shopping and e-commerce has fueled organized retail crime by giving thieves more opportunities to sell stolen goods. Although the online marketplace has been on the rise since 2017, since the COVID-19 pandemic, consumer demand for online shopping has exploded. Amazon and eBay are the top e-commerce platforms today, not just for legitimate retailers and businesses but for organized retail crime groups as well. E-commerce platforms typically do not verify sellers’ identities and payment methods, which reduces the risk of being caught for thieves who sell stolen goods online. Today, ORC groups even sell stolen merchandise on mainstream social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit. Bringing more attention to the issue of organized retail crime can help law enforcement discover more cases and catch more thieves. Before 2020, many law enforcement groups and local governments were completely unaware of the rising threat of ORC, which left the burden of deterring theft and investigating ORC cases to retailers. But as retailers, federal agencies, and police departments continue to work closely together on ORC, law enforcement can work on real ORC cases and actually mitigate the issue. For nearly two years, the rapid digitization of almost every industry has ushered in some exciting changes for both consumers and businesses, while also increasing the risk of organized retail crime, cybersecurity threats, and much more. As retailers continue to combat ORC, it is essential for them to collaborate, share information and build effective strategies to protect their businesses and their customers. Please feel free to reach out to either Tom Meehan or Ben Dugan with any questions you may have about these topics. Organizations like C.L.E.A.R., are also here to support retailers in every facet of their loss prevention strategy. Don’t forget to check out the 2021 C.L.E.A.R. Conference, November 16-18, 2021, in Orlando, Florida. In addition, the Buy Safe America Coalition has numerous resources and ways to get involved and aid in the protection of consumers and communities from the sale of counterfeit and stolen goods. Share this entry You might also like RECENT BLOGS What are the Best Retail Security Tags for Brands to Invest in for the Holiday Season? December 1, 2021 - 9:41 am How EAS Tags and RFID Tags Enable Retail Store Profitability November 23, 2021 - 10:27 am What You Need to Know About the Evolution of Cash Usage in a Post-Pandemic Future November 16, 2021 - 3:53 pm Download Whitepaper CONTROLTEK USA 200 Crossing Blvd. 2nd Floor Bridgewater, NJ 08807 Phone: 888.808.6970 Fax: 888.874.7565 Sales: sales@controltekusa.com Support: support@controltekusa.com Privacy Policy | Sitemap RECENT NEWS Targets, Trends and Threats in ORC Webinar: What You Need to Know About Organized Retail Crime in 2021 and Beyond November 2, 2021 - 2:26 pm CONTROLTEK Releases Smart Solutions to Support Digital Transformation in Retail October 4, 2021 - 2:00 am DIVISIONS BANKING SECURITY SOLUTIONS RETAIL SECURITY SOLUTIONS MORE SECURITY SOLUTIONS SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER Join our subscribers list to get the latest news, updates and special offers delivered directly in your inbox. © Copyright - CONTROLTEK