27-05-2025
Shoppers Want To Feel Safer In Stores—And They Think Tech Can Help
Bailey Quintrell is the Chief Strategy Officer at Flock Safety, a technology platform keeping cities, businesses and neighborhoods safe.
getty
In my role, I have found that our business often acts as the intermediary between law enforcement/security, whose goals are entirely focused on the safety of their residents and customers, and business leaders, who also want to ensure a positive customer experience and drive revenue. While these goals can be achieved in concert, a new national survey shows how some methods of allaying shopper safety concerns are much more effective than others.
A recent Flock Safety survey on consumer shopping behavior found that around one-third of respondents saw shoplifting and organized retail crime as a serious issue. This perception of danger has impacted shopping behavior and consumer experience while also signaling the need for better security technology to prevent crime. In fact, almost half of survey respondents are likely to support the use of technology to combat shoplifting and organized retail crime.
And as organized retail crime rings become more sophisticated, retailers will increasingly need to rely on technology to keep up with shoplifters and other offenders.
Technology isn't just helpful in gaining evidence; it can also serve as a crime prevention tool. For example, license plate reader (LPR) technology can be used to build a virtual security perimeter around a retail store by sending real-time alerts whenever a potential threat enters a premises. Such threats include those with active warrants or past offenders with a history of stealing and/or causing damage.
And by using AI, networked technology—for example, a connected ecosystem of LPR and video cameras—can identify and surface trends across multiple stores or vehicles that have been spotted near several reported thefts.
Consumers already understand the value of this tech—just over half of survey respondents say that LPR technology prevents organized retail crime and shoplifting, while helping customers feel safe when shopping.
Rising retail crime has made many consumers feel unsafe to the point where they're starting to bypass in-person shopping altogether. When considering concerns about shoplifting and organized crime, the majority of survey respondents preferred online shopping over in-person shopping. This sentiment is especially strong among respondents who have directly witnessed organized crime, further highlighting the need for security technology that also serves to make people feel safe and thwart potential offenders.
One method that may do more harm than good in the eyes of retail business leaders is locking up merchandise. While it may seem effective in stopping shoplifting, the reality is that locked merchandise can hamper a consumer's shopping experience by causing them to wait for long periods to access their merchandise.
In fact, 50% of survey respondents waited more than five minutes to access the goods they wanted. Making customers wait for long periods can also cause them to buy less than what they previously planned to purchase, as survey results show that respondents who didn't buy everything they wanted were more likely to wait longer than those who successfully made all their purchases.
On the other hand, most survey respondents believe that video cameras are effective at preventing retail crime—and even just the awareness of video camera use also increased the perception of their effectiveness.
This is huge for retailers hoping to improve the shopping experience and make consumers feel more comfortable shopping in their stores. With this in mind, security technologies such as LPR technology and security cameras can be good investments for retailers looking to strengthen their security to dissuade retail crime and stop shoplifting—without hurting their shopping experience for retail customers.
To maximize the effectiveness of LPR and video cameras, the placement of the technology is key. For LPR technology, installing devices at ingress and egress points—such as parking lot entrances or loading docks—offers the best opportunity to record the vehicle information linked to criminal activity.
Businesses should be conscious of deploying technology aligned to their specific security challenges. For example, placing too many cameras without clear sight lines to security personnel, or installing LPRs in areas with low traffic, will limit the technology's effectiveness. Businesses should conduct a thorough risk assessment, alongside a technology expert, to determine a focused deployment plan.
Finally, effective use of security technology isn't just about placement—it's also about integration and response. Businesses that integrate their cameras to a centralized system, ensure real-time alerting, and keep their technology up to date see far better outcomes. Proactive maintenance, combined with clear policies around responding to alerts and analyzing crime trend data, ensures technology serves as a true force multiplier for retail safety.
As retail crime offenders become more sophisticated and advanced in their techniques and methods, retailers can use security technology to combat retail crime without negatively affecting their customers' shopping experience.
Forbes Business Development Council is an invitation-only community for sales and biz dev executives. Do I qualify?
