Organized Retail Crime in 2025: Trends and Prevention

The Growing Threat of Organized Retail Crime (ORC) in 2025

Retailers are facing an escalating challenge in 2025: organized retail crime (ORC) is becoming more sophisticated, aggressive, and costly.

Unlike traditional shoplifting, ORC involves coordinated theft rings that target businesses with strategic precision, often stealing high-value merchandise in bulk and reselling it through online marketplaces or underground networks.

The financial impact is staggering.

ORC costs U.S. retailers billions each year, with recent reports showing a sharp increase in large-scale theft incidents. From smash-and-grab robberies to digital fraud schemes, criminals are leveraging technology and loopholes in security protocols to outmaneuver businesses. The consequences go beyond lost revenue—retailers also face increased operational costs, higher insurance premiums, and, in some cases, threats to employee and customer safety.

At GPI Defense, we understand that security isn’t just about loss prevention… it’s about ensuring a safe and sustainable business environment.

Retailers need to stay ahead of these evolving threats by recognizing the latest trends in ORC and implementing proactive security strategies. This article explores emerging patterns in large-scale theft and the most effective ways to protect your business.

Emerging Trends in Large-Scale Retail Theft

Organized retail crime is evolving rapidly, with criminals refining their tactics to bypass traditional security measures. Retailers must recognize these shifting patterns to stay ahead.

Some of the most prevalent ORC trends in 2025 include:

1. Advanced Fraud Techniques

While physical theft remains a major concern, digital fraud is playing an increasing role in ORC operations. Criminals are exploiting vulnerabilities in return policies, loyalty programs, and online payment systems.

Common tactics include:

• Return Scams: Using counterfeit receipts or stolen identities to fraudulently return merchandise.
• Digital Payment Fraud: Exploiting online checkout systems with stolen credit card information or hacking loyalty accounts.
• Counterfeit Barcodes: Swapping barcodes on high-value items to purchase them at lower prices, only to return them for a full refund.
• Phantom Transactions: Exploiting weak payment security measures to process fraudulent transactions that appear legitimate.

2. Smash-and-Grab 2.0

Traditional smash-and-grab robberies have become more calculated and large-scale. Criminals are targeting high-value goods like electronics, designer clothing, and pharmaceuticals.

What’s changed?

• More coordinated attacks, where multiple individuals overwhelm store employees in seconds.
• Strategic timing, often hitting stores during busy hours to create distractions.
• The use of stolen vehicles to make quick getaways, making it harder for law enforcement to track suspects.
• Improvised tools and tactics, such as using power tools to breach locked display cases.

3. Supply Chain Infiltration

Retailers are now seeing theft occur long before products even reach store shelves.

Criminal networks infiltrate supply chains by:

• Hijacking delivery trucks and rerouting shipments.
• Placing insiders in warehouses to divert inventory.
• Tampering with self-checkout stations to under-ring expensive items.
• Targeting distribution centers, where bulk inventory is easier to steal with minimal oversight.

4. E-Commerce and Online Resale

The rise of online marketplaces has made it easier than ever for criminals to sell stolen goods anonymously. Many stolen products are quickly listed on third-party e-commerce platforms, making detection difficult.

Some ORC rings even operate fake businesses to appear legitimate while laundering stolen merchandise.

• Online auction scams: Listing stolen items as “like new” to avoid detection.
• Flash sales on social media: Using encrypted messaging apps and digital payment platforms to move stolen goods quickly.

With these sophisticated tactics on the rise, retailers need to focus on both physical and digital security measures to combat ORC effectively.

How to Identify ORC Activity in Your Store

Recognizing the early warning signs of organized retail crime can make all the difference in preventing major losses.

Here’s what to watch for:

1. Suspicious Shopping Behavior

• Groups of individuals entering the store together and quickly spreading out.
• Shoppers who seem more focused on security cameras and store layouts than actual products.
• Customers carrying large, empty shopping bags or wearing oversized clothing that could conceal stolen goods.
• Multiple failed transactions, as criminals may test stolen credit card information.

2. Unusual Transactions

• Bulk purchases of high-value items without hesitation.
• Customers frequently returning items without receipts or switching between payment methods.
• Sudden spikes in online orders from the same region or account, often with expedited shipping.
• Inconsistent purchase patterns, such as multiple transactions under different names but linked to the same delivery address.

3. Surveillance Footage Patterns

• Repeated visits from the same individuals, often scouting stores before committing theft.
• Suspicious interactions between customers and employees who may be collaborating.
• Vehicles lingering outside stores at closing time, potentially waiting for an opportunity.

Training staff to recognize these behaviors and report them promptly is key to stopping theft before it escalates.

Staying Ahead of ORC in 2025

By identifying emerging theft trends, implementing advanced security measures, and working alongside professional security providers like GPI Defense, retailers can minimize losses and create a safer shopping environment.

The future of retail security depends on proactive prevention, smart technology, and strong partnerships. Investing in long-term security strategies not only protects revenue but also fosters a safer workplace for employees and a better shopping experience for customers.