Survey: Retail crime drives 58% to online shopping, tech solutions favored

A majority of consumers (58%) prefer online shopping due to retail crime concerns, while over half believe technology solutions are effective at combating retail crime, according to a new national survey by Flock Safety, manufacturer and operator of automated license plate recognition (ALPR), video surveillance and gunfire-locator systems.

“The data shows that people don’t just want to talk about safety, they want action,” said Michael Simon, chief strategy officer at Zencity, which conducted the survey for Flock Safety. “American consumers want to feel safe while shopping, and are eager for retailers to adopt new technology to restore a safer, more welcoming, and more convenient shopping experience. It stands to reason that retailers who recognize this trend in public opinion and take action will be better positioned to encourage more in-store shopping from their customers.”

Among other survey findings:

• Shoppers experience long wait times for locked merchandise: 51% of consumers report waiting over five minutes to access items in stores with locked merchandise. 
• Shoppers are seeing more security measures: 63% of consumers have noticed locked shelves or items behind a counter, while 59% have observed video cameras inside or outside stores.
• Consumers support stronger security measures: 45% of consumers favor using technology to combat ORC, with support rising to 52% in major metro areas.
• Security technology has strong public backing: 54% say license plate recognition (LPR) cameras help deter retail theft, and 62% believe recorded security video increases store safety.
• Effective crime deterrent: 56% of respondents believe LPR cameras effectively prevent organized retail crime and shoplifting.
• “Retail crime has clearly had a profound impact not just on businesses, but on the everyday shopper,” said Bailey Quintrell, chief strategy officer of Flock Safety. “Our cutting-edge security technology and AI-driven tools help combat crime, and create a safer, more welcoming environment for businesses and shoppers alike.”

Retailers Investing in Security Tech as ORC Surges

Between 2022 and 2023, shoplifting incidents increased by 26%, with 42% of these cases involving acts of violence. Retail theft resulted in store losses of over $121 billion in 2023, and projections suggest it could surpass $150 billion by 2026. 

With 76% of retailers expressing growing concerns over retail crime, many are turning to video and AI-powered security solutions and real-time data-sharing technology to deter crime and improve safety.

Flock Safety partners with four of the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) top 10 retailers and seven of the largest malls across the U.S. to help deter criminal networks, accelerate investigations, and enhance security. With more than 5,000 communities and 800 businesses leveraging Flock’s technology, the company helps solve approximately 2,000 crimes every day, providing retailers with a proactive, scalable approach to crime prevention. 

The survey was conducted with 3,522 respondents, recruited between Dec. 21, 2024, and Jan. 13, 2025, using targeted ads across various platforms, including social media and apps for Android and iOS, and online survey panels. To ensure a representative sample, quotas were applied based on data from the US Census Bureau, matching the distribution of race, ethnicity, age, and gender in the national population or specific metro areas surveyed.

View the complete findings of Flock Safety and Zencity’s National Consumer Safety Survey here.