Battersea Power Station provided the fitting backdrop for a Retail Safety Leaders Roundtable focused on how body-worn video (BWV) will power the future of crime reporting and connectivity to support wider risk reduction strategies on the UK high street.
This is not just a demand for action to fight retail crime—this is an M&S demand for action to fight retail crime, as the UK high street seemingly plumbs new depths— dropping from “flawless to lawless”.
The Easter Bunny was certainly busy during the Spring months replenishing stocks of stolen confectionery following a chocolate crime wave that is continuing to leave a bitter after-taste for many retailers.
We live in a world of constant media noise with 24-hour, non-stop headlines and story cycles often viewed through the prism of tiny smartphone screens
Executive Chairman of Iceland Lord Richard Walker has proposed allowing trained retail security staff to carry equipment such as truncheons
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has highlighted that that rising shoplifting, fraud and cyber-attacks against retailers and other
Petrol theft has surged by 62 per cent as a result of the war in the Middle East, according to new figures.
Activists launched a mass shoplifting spree across the UK in March targeting major supermarkets in several cities as part of disruption plan to 'liberate' produce.
It has always been hard to find fault with the argument that the economics of business crime fighting have never really added up.
Figen Murray has a countdown timer on her smartphone as she watches the months, weeks, days, hours and seconds until the full implementation of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, the legislation that carries her son’s monika—Martyn’s Law.
With its relentless drive for sales and the consequential and ever-evolving risks the high street faces, the retail sector is never allowed to stand still.
Fighting the scourge of on the job harassment and bullying will take centre stage in Birmingham later this spring with the inaugural Workplace Violence Reduction Awards.
UK Partners Against Crime (UKPAC) and the National Retail Crime Alliance (NRCA), including TruckPol, have merged to create a single, strengthened national organisation tackling business crime across the UK.
ORIS, the UK’s pre-eminent network promoting best-in-class collaboration and education for risk professionals has announced the appointment of Sarah Bird as its new Partnerships and Events Manager to build upon the organisation’s unparalleled portfolio.
Christmas and New Year brings into sharp focus the peaks of excess and the hangover slump of spiking gym and slimming club memberships—the constant annual treadmill of eat, drink, slim, repeat.
And so goes the all-too recognisable and catchy theme tune in the opening credits of the timeless sit-com Only Fools and Horses which attracted tens of millions of viewers in the iconic series’ twenty-two-year run between 1981 and 2003.
The maxim prima facie is the legal presumption underpinning UK jurisprudence—it is the minimum and essential provision of an evidence-based threshold upon which a case can be pursued through the criminal justice system.
By its very definition, convenience is the state of mind where we possess the “ability to seamlessly proceed with something without difficulty” in the same way that its nemesis—inconvenience—brings positive movement to a grinding halt.
While losses from theft and fraud are headline-worthy, the persistent erosion caused by inaccurate inventory can have just as significant an impact on margins, fulfilment, and customer satisfaction.
Retail is at a turning point. What was once about deterrence is now about enablement. Modern LP for retailers must evolve into a strategic asset, supporting performance, empowering associates, and earning shopper trust.
Retail loss prevention teams are facing growing challenges. At the same time, thieves, fraudsters, and vandals continue to cause losses—from stolen stock to damaged goods and store fixtures. Yet many retailers are still relying on ageing alarm panels, outdated sensors, or fragmented video systems, making it harder to respond quickly and consistently.
The Rise of AI Could Raise the Spooky Spectre of New Frontiers in Retail Fraud
New Drive to Put the Brakes on the Risk Hazards on the Road Ahead
Independent parcel carrier Yodel has reinforced its partnership with the industry charity Retail Trust and its Respect Retail campaign.
Senior executives in the security industry are looking for investors to help establish a National Skills Academy to ‘upskill’ the industry.
Chinese fast-fashion giant Shein has been accused of “wilful ignorance” during a Business and Trade Committee evidence session about supply chain labour rights.
British discount store Poundland has announced it is cracking down on in-store crime with its biggest ever investment in anti-theft technology and security.
The company is the first major retailer to add facial age estimation at the checkout to approve digital knife sales.
From Brexit to Boats and Borders—How the Bonfire of Bureaucracy Lit the Touchpaper of Britain’s Broken Economy
Tony Sheppard, an expert with over 30 years of experience, offers insights on implementing an effective loss prevention culture.
Over thirty supermarkets and food producers have called on the government to introduce compulsory reporting of food waste.
A leading trade group has raised concerns that a new fingerprint scheme to tighten EU border checks could disrupt fresh food deliveries ahead of Christmas.
ORIS Forums Unveils New Collaborative Vendor and Retailer Risk Forum
Consumer watchdog Which? is leading a coalition representing some of the UK’s largest banks and telecoms providers as part of a “landmark commitment” to sharing data to combat fraud.
Carrefour Belgium has partnered with Swedish food waste company Deligate to launch an AI tool designed to manage best before dates.
From Zero to Anti-Hero—the Amplification of Retail Crime in the Age of Social Media
Richard Moreton of leading retail security specialist, TSS, outlines the advantages of new, sophisticated body-worn devices and how to maximise their effectiveness through full integration into an effective security operation.
Almost a third of UK shoppers have witnessed a shoplifting incident in the past 12 months, according to new research. A study of 1,000 UK shoppers carried out by software developer Retail Insight found that 30 per cent had witnessed an instance of shoplifting during the past year, rising to 44 per cent of consumers in London.
Consumer watchdog Which? has called on whoever the next prime minister is on July 4th to appoint a dedicated minister to address the issue of fraud. The organisation said that a fraud minister could ensure that banks and payment providers treat victims fairly and reimburse them properly. The consumer champion added that fraud is the UK’s most common crime, accounting for around 40 per cent of crimes committed in England and Wales.
Leading fashion brand NEXT, working with UK-based TAG Company, has proven the case that retailers can now not only identify organised and opportunist criminals, but also exactly what they have stolen in order to build evidence packs for the police while at the same time rapidly replenishing the missing stock to reduce lost sales opportunities.
Four Years On from its Original Story, LP Magazine Europe Revisits Its Coverage of What Has Now Been Branded “the UK’s Biggest Miscarriage of Justice”
How Dublin, Once a Beacon of Welcome, Became a Symbol of Wider Crime and Disorder Trends Impacting Our Towns and Cities
Martyn’s Law Looks Set to Democratise Safety Around all of the UK’s Public Venues, Including Retail, But What Will the Business Impact Be?
An international trade body representing the retail and wholesale industry in Europe has called for EU member states to address the Red Sea crisis that is impacting trade.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a study into the supply of infant formula in the UK as part of its efforts to reduce the cost-of-living pressure in the groceries sector.
The UK government has announced a new strategy to tackle supply chain disruption amidst attacks by the Houthis on ships in the Red Sea and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. The strategy includes the launch of a new online portal designed to allow businesses to quickly report red tape or disruption impacting their imports. The UK government's trade department promised that it would work to remove these barriers “wherever possible”. The move comes as the Houthis, an Iran-backed Islamist rebel group, threaten global trade by attacking ships in one of the world's most critical waterways.…
How Retailers Can Help Themselves to Tackle the Issue of Rough Sleeping
During 2023, a year of surging inflation, high interest rates and ever-increasing shop theft, many retailers have finally woken up to the benefits of civil recovery - and not before time!
How the NBCS helped close the loop on one of Britain’s most prolific retail fraudsters.
New figures reveal a sharp rise in drivers leaving petrol forecourts without paying – the so-called organised offence of ‘bilking’.
Businesses Reaching Out to Help Re-Shape the Future Recruitment and scape for Ex-Offenders “Coming Home”
From Chatbots to Synthetic Deepfakes, How the Risk Narrative Around Artificial Intelligence is Shifting
Waitrose has reported a rise in shoplifting in its stores across the UK, as an MP said organised gangs were "operating with impunity".
Cost-of-Living Crisis Brings Colleague Dishonesty Out of the Shadows
Ethical beauty brand Lush used last week’s platform of national Refugee Week to shame the UK government over its unwelcoming strategy towards refugees fleeing persecution.
Consultant and former global director of security operations, environment and health and safety Tim Moore explores diversity and inclusion (D&I), inspiring the future of the industry and the security leaders of tomorrow.
The cost-of-living crisis and stubborn inflation rates driven by food costs have triggered a drop in UK online spending.
Identity fraud is now one of the biggest fraud threats facing members of the public, with cases soaring by nearly 25 per cent during the last year, according to the latest research from Cifas, the UK’s leading fraud prevention service.
The EU’s new laws will require all companies trading commodities to follow strict due diligence processes to trade with the bloc. Products linked to deforestation will be banned from import and export with the EU. This will also affect businesses either based or trading with the UK.
Cash withdrawals at the Post Office increased by nearly seven per cent during the festive period, as consumers look to budget during the winter. December marked another record month for cash with the number of over-the-counter withdrawals jumping to £892 million from £835 million in November.
In what has rapidly become the winter of discontent, body worn cameras have earned their place in the toolbox of protections for key workers, proving to be a means of retaining colleagues who may otherwise have walked. But what about the strategic future of BWC? What else can it achieve to assist struggling retailers?
Retail businesses are increasingly required to understand the bigger picture when looking at the exposure to high levels of risk impacting their business. This is a key reason why global integrated CCTV provider March Networks wants to make 2023 a year to remember in terms of nurturing a wider more collaborative approach to the challenges facing the sector through a combination of global expertise and reach with targeted local delivery.
At Amberstone Security, the New Year has served as an accelerant for many transformational changes the business had put in place in the previous 12 months
Steve Hewitt of Profitunity on why it’s so important to count on stock file accuracy.
How International Caring and Compassion Are Helping to Bridge Europe’s Fragile Borders and Fault Lines
Can Greater Diversity Help Reverse the Great Resignation?
During 2022, the unfortunate continued increase in violence and aggression towards colleagues has resulted in many retailers investing in preventative technologies such as body worn cameras (BWC). Originally used by security guards, law enforcement and frontline emergency workers, the cameras are now ubiquitous among retail colleagues and have played a key role in deterring and defusing incidents of aggression and abuse, as well as building confidence among frontline staff.
As Christmas approaches, March Networks is reflecting upon the year’s global economic challenges – COVID-19, climate change and the cost-of-living crisis, for example – and their impact upon the retail sector. These challenges are a constant source of inspiration when it comes to the company’s technology roadmap and its goal of reducing risk via the transformation of video into usable business intelligence.
Comsec’s collaborative approach helps infiltrate and disrupt fraud networks.
Rising costs, staff and stock shortages and outages stalk the aisles and shelves of stores across the UK along with increasing violence and aggression towards colleagues already spooked by cost-of-living concerns. As stolen goods rather than stollen cake become the Yuletide priority, resilient and resourceful retailers have become used to dealing with what may seem be a never-ending economic hangover of increased organised and opportunistic crime. Instead, they are turning to more cost-effective, collaborative and intelligence-led solutions where more focussed LP teams are better…
The Home Office still does not know the full scale of the fraud threat posed to individuals and businesses and is not yet leading an effective cross-Government strategy to tackle it, according to the National Audit Office (NAO).
The first ever global report into parcel theft has revealed figures are at an all-time high.
With security officer recruitment and retention issues ongoing and loss prevention risks higher than average at this time of year, how can you ensure your security plan for peak is watertight with adequate suppliers lined up to support you?
How the Cost-of-Living Crisis Is Spreading Its Own Retail Crime Wave
Sainsbury’s has announced a £25 million investment in a support package to help its hourly-paid staff with rising household costs during the cost-of-living crisis.
The retail security and loss prevention sector could and should do more to attract a more diverse pool of talent. This is one of the key themes to be explored during a panel discussion at the Retail Risk conference at the King Power Stadium, Leicester on 6th October, where retail panellists will be discussing the importance of diversity and inclusion, with a particular focus on retail security teams.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has warned firms that offer Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) products of the consequences of promoting misleading adverts.
Iceland boss Richard Walker has called on ministers to issue more support for businesses struggling with soaring energy bills.
The economic shop window provided by the retail sector – the UK’s biggest employer – must reflect the diversity and inclusion (D&I) of its wider customer base and look to turn positive words into meaningful shop floor action.
Australia's privacy watchdog has launched an investigation into two retail giants over their use of facial recognition technology.
Partners in International Crime Fighting Cook up Collaborative Approaches to Risk
Home, as the saying goes, may be “where the heart is,” but if official figures are anything to go by, it may also be “where the hurt is” as domestic abuse cases sharply increased due to the global pandemic and the consequential work-from-home rules that meant vulnerable people became trapped in the very environments where they felt least safe.
April saw the launch of UK’s first clothing range created, designed and hand produced by young ex-offenders and sold through a pop-up stall in Westfield Stratford City shopping centre.
Sir Kenneth Branagh’s much-acclaimed and award-winning film Belfast, set against the backdrop of the tumult of that city’s troubles during the late 1960s, is a comedy-drama that exudes a warmth and charm that seems wildly at odds with its subject matter.
“Artificial intelligence” is a term coined as late as 1955, but long before this—since the dawn of the computer-age—philosophers, scientists, and politicians alike have wondered and worried in equal measure over the awesome power, potential, and application of intelligent machines.
Global security screening expert business Thruvision provides a strong example of an existing technology that has successfully evolved with the pandemic. Indeed, it could be described as a solution that has perfectly adapted to the challenges created by the new normal.
Business Loss Prevention Ltd, a specialist civil recovery provider is receiving a lot of enquiries from businesses about furlough overpayments and how they can help them recover these.
A staggering £1.17bn worth of fruit, veg and bread is wasted every year by Brits, according to new research from Sainsbury’s. The study reveals that the average British household throws away nearly three items a week, or 75.6m as a nation.
Why the Writing Was on the Wall for Vintage Sign Writer Jason Anker and Why Value, Worth, and Well-Being Should Always Accompany Health and Safety
A multi-agency focus group aimed at reducing the availability of counterfeit goods at physical markets and online is warning consumers to watch out for fake, and potentially dangerous goods, that may appear on social media in the run up to the festive shopping season.
One in every two UK consumers is planning to ditch their credit card entirely for Christmas shopping this year, claims research from Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) company Klarna.
The cost-neutral Immobilise technology first created for the mobile phone and electronics market, has been adapted for the golf market. A free-to register initiative for marked clubs using either the serial or unique product code applied at the point of manufacture – often printed on the club shaft – or applied by cost-effective security kits at store level.
Loss prevention and security teams looking to keep colleagues safe and make alarm response more efficient can now benefit from a new partnership that combines professional call-out and removes the need for keyholding services.
PACKED is a new consignment checking system which combines camera technology at the point of pick and pack with transaction checking capability, to enable retailers to quickly ascertain whether a customer is making a fraudulent or genuine claim of goods non-receipt.
Navigating a path to enable retailers to capture evidential images of suspects while removing those pictures of innocent by-standers has created major efficiency and cost challenges for many LP and health and safety teams. But thanks to the award-winning AXIS Live Privacy Shield, the focus has shifted to only capturing the images of interest whilst masking all other background activity.
Small companies account for roughly 50 per cent of Britain’s business-driven emissions, the same proportion as larger businesses, according to research from the British Business Bank.
Almost 70 per cent of businesses have experienced an incident involving staff working alone in the past three years, with a fifth of these episodes described as being severe in nature, according to research conducted by lone worker organisation StaySafe.
The UK’s largest fraud prevention service is warning of a sharp spike in identity scams as cases filed to the National Fraud Database increased by 11 per cent in the first six months of 2021.
How technology is ‘democratising’ risk management and colleague deployment, post-pandemic
New research is underway to understand the current fraud landscape and explore whether reporting it should be made compulsory and levelled up with laws surrounding money laundering.
Retailers and e-tailers are being granted an additional six months to put in place legally required improvements to payment security as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has extended the deadline for implementing Strong Customer Authentication (SCA).
Theories that more people would reach for the bottle to get them through the global pandemic and lockdown restrictions have proved unfounded as alcohol sales across the world actually shrank, according to new figures.
Fresh calls for a levelling of the taxation playing field between physical stores and online brands has been made by the chair of John Lewis who is urging Chancellor Rishi Sunak to ditch the current business rates system.
Two consumer behaviour surveys published this month reveal a desire for more technological intervention in our shopping habits has emerged post-pandemic.
Risk, by its very definition, is often described in gambling terms—a roll of the dice, a flip of a coin, a turn of a card, or a spin of the wheel. It is, after all, gambling with the random laws of chance if you don’t have a thought-through plan or a series of mitigation strategies in place for the outcome of where and when the dice, coin, card, or ball lands.
It takes a global pandemic to recognise the contribution of the logistics sector to everyday life, with humble lorry drivers being transported to the status of “key workers,” ensuring the essential wheels of industry keep turning.
The Anti-Counterfeiting Group, the UK’s leading watchdog for fake goods, has warned of the dangers posed by a rush to introduce free ports across Britain.
Delays getting goods into the UK since the end of the Brexit transition period at the start of the year are likely to result in stock shortages for retailers and inflated shop prices for consumers, according to a new report.
Retailers and their suppliers, many of whom have also had to furlough staff during the pandemic, have found their own disruptive technologies to counter the wider societal disruption of COVID-19 so that they have a business to return to once restrictions are lifted.
More than £240 million worth of fines have been imposed for a wide range of infringements of Europe’s data protection laws, according to international law firm DLA Piper.
UK Finance, the association representing the banking and financial services sector, is warning consumers to be extra vigilant against criminals looking to defraud them by posing as parcel delivery companies, as more people across the country are expected to shop online this Christmas than ever before.
UK-based charity Privacy International has expressed concerns about the launch of facial recognition across 18 Southern Co-operative stores in response to an 80 per cent increase in violence and aggression against staff.
Tesco has launched its trial of drone home deliveries with shoppers in County Galway, Ireland.
Digital payments could have reached a point of no return as one in five European adults used them for the first time during lockdown, according to a new report from Forrester, which predicted that changes to behaviour will have long-term consequences for banks, networks, payment processors and retailers.
As the UK hunkers down for another potential six months of restrictions including the Government U turn on getting staff back into the office, the question raising its head is: "Is the new bad back the new bad back?" as longer-term working from home takes its toll on the nation’s spines.
A new report is calling for retailers to leverage video analytics more strategically, to control costs, improve operations and increase profitability.
The post-COVID world where Loss Prevention meets loss of confidence.
M&S has long been an advocate for the use of RFID in retail from pioneering its use in the UK since 2004. Although the majority of their clothing and home stock is now RFID enabled (95%), M&S had predominantly used barcode scanning to reset their stock files on a 6-monthly basis.
Why it matters for the business and why it should be on the LP agenda.
Subpostmasters attempt to clear their names and highlight what can happen when fraud claims go woefully wrong.
Businesses are becoming increasingly vulnerable to reputational risk, with 70 per cent of companies having been exposed to a potentially damaging episode, according to the fifth annual Global Risk Landscape Report produced by accountancy and business advisory firm BDO LLP.
People are buying prescription-based medicines over the Internet rather than seeking medical advice according to the Anti-Counterfeiting Group (ACG).
Stores that have been forced to pay separate business rates on their ‘hole in the wall’ ATMs are due more than £500 million in rebates after a new legal ruling.
The Anti-Counterfeiting Group (ACG) and the Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade (TRACIT), are urging consumers to take seriously the risks presented by the growing numbers of fake and ineffective cleaning solutions, anti-bacterial wipes, surgical masks and medicines being sold during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Security industry strives to restore industry reputation and plug "bought-in labour" loophole
Presenting vouchers or having to provide ‘proof of need’ may offer practical steps or challenges for the introduction of free sanitary wear after Scottish MSPs backed the principle of tackling period poverty by making sanitary products available ‘to all free of charge.’
The value of major fraud cases going through the Scottish courts has more than tripled in 2019, according to the latest KPMG Fraud Barometer.
The acronym BORIS – buy online return in store – may have passed into retail parlance, but will newly-elected prime minister Boris Johnson follow up on the pre-poll pledge to impose a tax on digital sales and face a potential tariff confrontation with the White House?
The UK’s card fraud losses were the biggest in Europe, and account for nearly half of the €1,616 million (£1,400 million) lost to fraud across the 19 countries on the map, according to analytics software firm FICO’S annual European survey.
A judge has dismissed a woman’s €75,000 damages claim for defamation, which was brought after she was asked whether she had paid €1 for a Marks and Spencer (M&S) shopping bag.
Payment security compliance has declined for the second year in a row, with organisations based in the Americas particularly lagging behind worldwide counterparts, according to Verizon’s 2019 Payment Security Report.
Consumers are being warned to be aware of the dangers of fakes and counterfeit gifts during the festive season.
Over two thirds of charities (69 per cent) think fraud is a major risk to the charity sector and internal fraud is recognised as one of the biggest threats.
There is more than one controversial Boris hitting the headlines, and it’s not in relation to Brexit, according to a new survey into retail fraud scams.
Retail is changing. What loss prevention does tomorrow will be different than today
How civil restitution has been reinvented and rehabilitated
The boss of a security business that specialises in forecourt technology that prevents criminal ‘drive-offs’ is supporting an initiative to change the defamation of character laws in the Republic of Ireland.
The latest crime figures suggest there were two acts of retail pilfering every hour but 85 per cent of cases were dropped by police and prosecutors.
Fashion giant River Island has chosen Spanish tech firm Nextail to roll out artificial intelligence (AI) driven forecasting and stock solutions across its store and product network.
The total cost of crime and crime prevention for retailers was £1.9 billion last year, up 12 per cent from £1.7 billion the previous year, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).
Almost two thirds (73 per cent) of UK businesses believe that fraudsters who carry out payments fraud are now ‘ahead of the industry’, according to the third annual Business Fraud Report from Vocalink, a Mastercard company.
Recruitment for retail store guarding is now drawing from a more diverse talent pool, according to figures from one of the UK’s biggest security screening businesses which is seeing greater interest from women, ethnic minorities and disabled candidates.
How data collection can help beat friendly fraud to win back revenue.
A spike in criminal drive-offs from forecourts has prompted renewed interest in unmanned fuel stations, according to Metro Security which provides technology that integrates CCTV and ANPR for both kiosk-driven and ‘pay-at-the-pump’ service areas.
Online multi-merchandise retailer Amazon has begun trials of an autonomous delivery robot called Scout.
The new Director General of the Anti-Counterfeiting Group on the challenges of fighting IP infringement
For the critics who argue that there is nothing new under the sun in loss prevention, there is a contrary argument—it’s never too late to innovate.
Preparing for the first forty-eight hours after a fatal accident.
According to Cifas, the UK’s leading fraud prevention service, a startling number of young people are falling victim to identity fraud.
The UK government has warned that in the event of a no-deal Brexit, consumers would face slower and more costly credit card payments when they buy European Union products, while British citizens living abroad could lose access to their bank accounts altogether.
A new report highlights a rise in voice-activated fraud, and the problem is set to get worse with the rise of synthetic speech powered by artificial intelligence.
How can retail benefit from advances in Artificial Intelligence that are revolutionising justice and healthcare?
Rising substance abuse in the workplace prompts increase in UK testing market and need for “amnesties”.
Crime, shrinkage and security are key interests across the retail sector. Portsmouth Business School is working with Crime&tech srl (www.crimetech.it), a spin-off company of the Università Cattolica of Milan, to carry out a study on retail crime across 11 European countries: Belgium, Finland, France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
The latest headline figures for incidents of identity fraud, which represents more than half of all recorded fraud incidents, have shown the first decline since 2014, according to CIFAS, the UK’s leading fraud prevention service.
Worldpay is developing a proof-of-concept drone that incorporates contactless payment technology to help combat the growing issue of parcel fraud.
The National Business Crime Solution (NBCS) is urging logistics companies to do more to halt the rapid escalation in tobacco theft from the rear of delivery vehicles.
US survey results reveal how women view their current roles in the industry
More rigorous drugs testing required to provide staff with a safe working environment
Why regulation of feature recognition goes beyond face value.
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) plans to create a "regulatory sandbox" – a safe software testing environment - as part of its first ever technology strategy to help organisations build adequate data protection into their products before they are released.
Fraud is increasing in cost and complexity, according to the latest report from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
Christmas closed off a very lean year for spending, according to the latest survey from Visa.
Diversity, some may argue, is an over-used word in the workplace.
There’s an old Irish Proverb that says, “You can’t plough a field by just turning it over in your mind.”
Sainsbury’s and Unilever have joined a new international initiative that will test whether blockchain – the critical part of the bitcoin peer-to-peer payment system - can help reward sustainability in the supply chain.
Read any retail trade publication or mainstream news-media article about our industry, and chances are that you will walk away feeling bearish on the future of this business.
Game Changers is a brand new series of what will be regular articles in LP Magazine Europe focusing upon inspirational risk practitioners.
Global threats are set to continue to push demand for authentication and brand protection devices such as holograms, predicts a leading global industry trade body.
Competition is expected to grow in the European payment card market as issuers are taking advantage of the wider acceptance enjoyed by Mastercard and Visa by pushing ahead with the upgrade of Maestro and Electron cards, new research from RBR has found.
With one of the Government’s flagship rules on pay equality scheduled to come into force in 2018, just one per cent of the UK’s large companies have complied with the new pay transparency rules so far, according to a new study from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).
ORIS has scooped the coveted Vendor of the Year award at the 2017 Retail Risk Awards which took place at the King Power Stadium, Leicester on 5th October.
In his best-selling management title The World is Flat, business journalist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Thomas Friedman prophetically framed the rapid development in technology and communications thusly, “Remember, in 2005: Facebook didn’t exist for most people, Twitter was still a sound, 4G was a parking space, and Skype was a typo!”
Opposites attract. In life as in science, polarity generates a need to pull together, and a positive always needs a negative.
The international tax stamp industry has expressed concerns over how the implementation of the track and trace and security feature requirements of the EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD).
River Island has reported a reduction in retail theft of 60 per cent on garments at its flagship store on Oxford Street following the introduction of new security tag technology.
New guidelines on the legal installation and use of CCTV systems have been introduced by the Surveillance Camera Commissioner.
The UK Government should step up to the plate in terms of parity with the European Union (EU) with respect to data protection in order to ensure unhindered data flows between the UK and the EU post-Brexit, according to the EU Home Affairs Sub Committee.
There's an old saying that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Like many similar pearls of wisdom, it is no longer fit for purpose in the twenty-first century, particularly when dogs have an inexhaustible appetite to learn.
The Government must refresh its Brexit strategy and reach out to a wider community in order to build consensus for its negotiating priorities, according to security industry trade association ADS.
New research reveals that organised crime groups (OCGs) are twice as prolific as official figures indicate.
LP professionals are being asked to nominate someone from their ranks for acts of bravery in the line of duty as part of the prestigious City of London Sherriff’s Award.
Someone recently asked why the ECR Community Shrink & OSA Group has kept going for so long.
Mythology about European laws not impacting the UK post-Brexit has resulted in more than a quarter of British businesses in the retail sector cancelling all preparation for the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) on the misunderstanding that it will not apply.
A report predicting a continuing rise in counterfeiting will sound fresh alarm bells for producers and suppliers of goods, warns the International Hologram Manufacturers Association (IHMA).
While the new “anti-establishment” world is rejecting globalisation, will CCTV technology integration provide the panacea to retail risks?
Overseas travel, particularly business travel, can be seen as glamorous by the uninitiated.
Fraud now costs UK organisations a staggering £125 billion each year, with cyber playing a part in most incidents, according to a new report.
The still largely male-dominated world of loss prevention could this year placed under the gender pay spotlight.
The UK Government is carrying out an extensive survey of retail and cyber- crime to help drive and target harden crime-fighting policy.
It has proven to be another interesting year for the European retail industry as it continues to grapple with an unstable economic outlook, growing competition, greater complexity, and the proliferation of technological innovation with omni-channel and e-commerce seeing rapid growth in many countries.
Continuing demand for effective security devices to meet global threats will drive growth for authentication and brand protection holograms in 2017, says the industry trade body.
The tectonic plates of Europe underwent a seismic shift on 23 June when Britain decided in a referendum to be the first ever country to exit (Brexit) the European Union (EU).
Successful loss prevention executives must have a broad knowledge and skill base well beyond just understanding cameras, tags, investigations, and other loss prevention tactics.
Phone scams are on the increase, but consumers are failing to hang up on fraudsters.
Sadiq Khan, the new mayor of London is target hardening the capital against the threat of terrorist attack.
There is no ‘one-size fits all’ risk strategy, and recognising that fact is one way of assisting businesses to combat the mushrooming trend in cyber-crime.
There are few upsides for those predicting the future, as it is a certainty that any wrong prediction will live forever. Just ask Bill Gates about his prediction that 640 KB of memory ought to be enough.
In the UK Chancellor's July 2015 Budget, George Osborne surprised many political commentators by announcing that Britain would be following the example set by Germany last year with the introduction of a National Living Wage (NLW) of £7.20 per hour for people over twenty-five years old. Furthermore, this figure would rise to £9 per hour by 2020.
ORIS Forums, the not-for-profit collective of retail-led forums that share best practice and intelligence to reduce risk and crime in the retail sector, celebrated its 10th anniversary in style this month with its party-themed annual Risk Summit.
Small businesses in the UK are losing more than £9bn from invoice fraud every year.
Risk and regulatory work is now the fastest-growing consulting service in the UK, breaking the £500 million barrier for the first time.
Britain would be landed with £11bn in new tariffs if it left the EU and did not get a free trade agreement, according to Lord Stuart Rose, the CEO of online supermarket Ocado.
The latest BDO FraudTrack report shows that the total value of reported fraud in 2015 was £1.5 billion, representing an increase of 110% from the previous year and the highest value recorded since 2011.
One of the most respected criminal behaviour research bodies in the UK is carrying out a study into the role of private and corporate security in addressing the threat of cyber-crime.
The Importance of Adopting a Collaborative Approach to Shrink Management
UK Trade and Investment, the Government department that supports UK-based exporters, has signed agreements with five top Chinese e-marketplaces to widen access to China's market of more than 650 million Internet users to British retailers.
When It’s Not Business as Usual in the World’s Most Troubled Territories
ORIS Media is holding a unique 2-day Cyber-crime, Online Investigations & Security course that is being run in partnership with two well-respected organisations that are experts in their field; Cyber-crime experts – The Risk Management Group, and the leading providers of non-confrontational interview techniques training – Wicklander-Zulawski.
The value of fraud in the UK has risen by 22 per cent to £385 million, according to the latest figures from the respected KPMG Fraud Barometer.
Children as young as 10 years old have been arrested for shoplifting in Glasgow stores, according to shocking official figures.
The compensation claim culture reached a new high after a report revealed that the number of insurance liability frauds - including so-called 'slip and trip' accidents - jumped by 75% last year.
A new report has for the first time attempted to put a figure on the cost of counterfeit goods to industry and the collective Governments of Europe.
This article set out to answer the question—what next for EAS? Reflections on Current and Future Developments in Product Protection by Colin Peacock, ECR Europe
LP Magazine EU sniffs out examples of where man’s best friend is on the front paw of risk management as public law enforcement retreats from front line detection in favour of an increased role for so-called “private pooches.”
A successful initiative that has helped to raise the profile and improve public and private sector collaboration in the fight against business crime is now joining forces with a not-for-profit crime intelligence sharing platform that it helped to create.
What you can tell about a store’s shrink rate from the state of the staff washroom.
The protection of international customer data as provided by the so-called ‘Safe Harbor Program’ operating between the EU and the US, is under threat from within, which will mean that companies need to consider alternative methods of protecting cross-border sensitive information such as credit or debit card details.
Recorded incidents of fraud increased by 25 per cent last year, according to the latest report from the UK’s fraud prevention service - CIFAS.
A PwC report says that global economic crime impacting the retail and consumer markets is on the rise, with almost half of respondents to a global survey being impacted.
Retail is one sector where businesses may fall under scrutiny of the far-reaching Bribery Act. Sainsbury’s has already fallen foul of the Act, but any retailer that deals in millions of euro supplier contracts in the UK, or overseas, will fall under scrutiny.
Major changes to EU data security legislation are expected to become law in 2015; however many UK organisations have yet to ensure they are compliant, according to one expert.
A new group has been launched to provide a forum through which Police and commercial security organisations can work closer together in London.
Future Proofing the World of Biometrics in a Mobile Age
The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) has announced the launch of a new strategic hub designed to explore and tackle serious and organised crime by way of high level research both in the UK and overseas.
Shop theft in Germany has reached such a level that retailers are investing in more technology and innovative ways of protecting stock, according to research from Cologne-based EuroHandelinstitut (EHI).
The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has warned CCTV operators that surveillance cameras must only be used as a necessary and proportionate response to a real and pressing problem.
Colin Peacock from the ECR Europe Shrinkage and On-shelf Availability (OSA) Group outlines some of the key learnings from the extensive work undertaken by this group over the past 15 years.
Offender profiling is taking a different shape, as investigators grapple with increasingly ‘social’ criminal activity.
Loss prevention is probably the most schizophrenic of all retail jobs. Its personalities are numerous and its masters are manifold. Even the titles are different. Some refer to themselves as loss prevention, others asset or profit protection, and still others as security managers. An increasing number are identified as business risk executives, looking after the broader range of issues to include business continuity, brand protection, and the health and safety of thousands of workers and customers. This may even include those customers who enter a store with the sole intent of…
Amazon’s UK sales growth has slowed over the past year as consumer perceptions of the brand fell after criticism of the amount of tax the firm pays.
There is no longer a glass ceiling for women in retail loss prevention - and, controversially, some say there never was, according to some of the most prominent women working in the sector.
Radio frequency identification (RFID) has not so much had a difficult birth, but also a troubled and tormented upbringing and has often been referred to by cynics as suffering from the “Kennedy Syndrome.”
It could be argued that social media, the Internet sensation that allows real-time peer-to-peer communication, has become a troubled adolescent who has very much grown up in the public.
US and British spy agencies routinely try to gain access to personal data from Angry Birds and other mobile applications, according to a new report.
There is a saying about women in business—If you are going to break through the glass ceiling, don’t wear a skirt! Although said by a man, there is a secondary, more implicit message that you have to “wear the trousers” and somehow become “de-feminised” if you want to get on. The unlikely “poster girl” for this image was perhaps the late Baroness Thatcher who was said to have more testosterone than most of her all-male Cabinet, and was loved and loathed in equal measure for her tough approach to opponents and other world leaders.
