2026-10-28
Holiday Retail Theft: 5 Ways Stores Can Fight Back
The holiday shopping season is almost here, and for retailers it brings two things at once: the biggest sales weeks of the year, and the biggest theft risk. A new October 27 release from Access Control Security (ACS) lays out why stores should plan their holiday loss prevention now, not after the first incident.
According to a National Retail Federation report cited by ACS, retailers lost nearly $50 billion to theft last year. Theft typically climbs in November and December, when stores are crowded and shoppers are rushed and distracted. ACS director of security and operations Reza Jalala put it plainly: “Holiday theft can easily wipe that out” — the profit a store counts on from the whole year.
What stores are facing this season
NRF surveys cited in the release point to repeat offenders, organized shoplifting events, and walkouts, where a cartload of goods is pushed out without paying. Retailers also report growing concern about customer-related violence. That matters most to me: holiday loss prevention is not only about merchandise. It is about keeping staff and shoppers safe.
Five measures worth taking now
1. Add security guards. Extra guards at entrances and near high-value, easily resold goods change the math for a would-be thief and give honest shoppers a visible point of help.
2. Offer parking lot escorts. Giving shoppers the option of a guard walking them to their car, especially after dark, builds trust and keeps the lot safer.
3. Install visible cameras. Cameras with clear signs that shoppers are being monitored, ideally with feeds watched around the clock, mean unlawful activity can be reported fast. For a home or small shop, a wireless security camera is a practical place to start.
4. Background check seasonal staff. The holiday hiring rush is no excuse to skip checks on temporary workers, and access to secure areas should stay limited to trusted employees.
5. Train employees. Staff should know what to watch for and how to report it to security. The rule I teach is simple: observe, report, and never put yourself in harm’s way over merchandise.
The takeaway
Jalala notes that shoplifting and merchandise theft decreased overall for the first time in several years in 2025, a sign prevention measures are starting to work. But thieves keep finding new ways to steal. The lesson: start before Black Friday, protect people as well as product, and treat loss prevention as part of customer service. I covered the bigger picture of where retail loss really comes from in Retail Loss Isn’t Just Shoplifting Anymore.
Source: Access Control Security Shares 5 Ways Retailers Can Prevent Holiday Theft (PRLog, October 27, 2026).
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