We’ve all seen news footage of brazen retail crimes — groups of individuals filling their arms or bags with merchandise that’s then sold to a “fence” for resale or online to an unwary consumer. Store-based stealing might be the most visible element of organized retail crime, but it’s not the only form of ORC impacting the retail ecosystem.
Cargo theft increased 41% over last year in the first 20 weeks of 2023 according to CargoNet, a Verisk business. Organized retail crime groups involved in cargo and supply chain theft are often more structured, operating as a business capable of moving merchandise in larger quantities through illicit, as well as legitimate, business channels.