The Convergence of Digital and Physical Retail Security

Written By London Kelley

The Big Picture

Organized retail crime (ORC) is evolving fast—blending in-store theft with digital fraud. Retailers making progress through tougher laws, AI, and collaboration, but big gaps remain.

Key Challenges

  • Retailers still silo store vs. e-comm investigations

  • ORC definition is outdated, focused mainly on physical theft

  • Too many platforms for intelligence sharing—no single standard

  • AI fraud tactics (deepfakes, social engineering) are advancing rapidly

Emerging Solutions

  • AI video analytics for faster theft detection

  • Unified commerce + loss orchestration: merge data, teams, and systems

  • Federal push for broader fraud/ORC intelligence sharing

  • Solution providers teaming up across physical + digital

Bottom Line

Progress is real, but uneven. The future of fighting ORC lies in unifying channels, data, and defenses—and moving from reactive whac-a-mole to proactive, AI-powered prevention.

London Kelley
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Behind the Surge in Retail Crime