While retailers can implement security measures on their own websites, they have little control over the browsers or devices used by their customers. And in a digital world rife with malware and browser hijacks, that has led to “conversion theft,” a growing trend where nefarious actors divert sales to other retailers so they can collect commissions. 

Women have been part of shoplifting and organized retail crime at least since the development of the department store in the mid-1800s, but their participation is growing in the 21st century, suggests Chris McGourty, founder and executive director of the National Anti-Organized Retail Crime Association.

Retailers want to place as much merchandise on the sales floor as possible. At the same time, the number of store employees is shrinking, which can leave products more vulnerable to theft. For decades, retailers have had two choices: They can lock everything up or put the products out with no security.

NRF is proud to provide our members with the online Retail Buying Guide to search for trusted vendors, products and services in the retail industry. Our guide is a user-friendly forum designed to bring suppliers and purchasers together. You can search by keyword, location, company name or category. Available whenever you need it, the Retail Buying Guide makes it easy to locate products and professional services geared to the retail industry. Click here to visit the online Retail Buying Guide! To advertise, please contact Sarah Allen for more information.

There’s no need to guess which brands consumers prefer. The American Customer Satisfaction Index Retail Report 2017, released in February, provides proof.

A recent survey from HRC Retail Advisory showed that 95 percent of in-store shoppers just want to be left alone and 85 percent of shoppers want to be able to use price scanners to check the cost of items rather than asking a store associate.

The digital edition of STORES includes must-read pieces, including the articles featured here. Read the current issue and browse the archives for issues you may have missed.

Sara Whiffen’s tech startup Rohvi helps retailers like Amy Gardner, owner of fashion boutique Scarpa, give customers a way to affordably refresh their looks by returning previously worn items for store credit. Hear how the partnership is a win-win for both retailers and customers on NRF’s Retail Gets Real podcast.

NRF members now have access to theBoardlist, a program designed to expand the network of board-ready women, to help achieve more balanced corporate governance. A recently announced partnership gives female executives the opportunity to be discovered in board searches from private and public companies across the country.

NRF has joined with other retail groups and two of the nation’s best-known ATM networks to form the Secure Payments Partnership. The new coalition hopes to improve the security of the U.S. electronic payments system ranging from credit and debit cards to emerging technology.