Learn about retailer challenges and how law
enforcement technology could be used to help mitigate workplace
violence and keep employees safe
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Dec. 26,
2023 /PRNewswire/ --
BACKGROUND:
The busy holiday season is the most important time of year for
retail stores. Unfortunately, a recent uptick in retail crime,
especially theft, has put retailers on edge. According to the
Retail Industry Leaders Association, organized retail crime costs
retailers over $69 billion per year
annually causing the loss of thousands of jobs through store
closures and reduced hours.
Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/9176252-axon-technology-retail-safety/
Increasing crime is not only affecting retail profits but the
mental health of employees as well. Axon, the technology leader in
global public safety, recently surveyed 1,200 retail employees
working in security, loss prevention, sales, service, support and
more. The majority (51%) of respondents work at a retail business
with a street-level storefront. Key findings from the survey
include:
In-store workers are exposed to high crime rates:
- 64% of in-store sales, service, and support retail workers have
experienced theft.
- 47% of in-store retail workers have seen or been the victim of
physical or verbal violence on the job.
- 62% report harm to their mental health caused by violence at
work.
- Theft is exceptionally high at hardware stores (88%), and
violence is most prevalent at discount stores (68%).
Security staff are concerned about organized crime:
- 58% believe fighting organized retail crime should be a top
priority in 2023.
- Organized crime is most common at discount stores (80%).
These study results show that new solutions to
help keep workers safe and decrease retail crime are
needed. Loss prevention and asset protection professionals rank
both video surveillance technology (CCTV) and body-worn cameras in
the top five most effective theft prevention measures.
Khris Hamlin discusses retailer
challenges and some of the potential solutions, while Mike Shore shares Axon's retail safety survey
and suggest ways in which law enforcement technology may be used to
help address these concerns.
For more information, please visit:
https://www.axon.com/industries/enterprise-security/retail
https://www.rila.org/rila-ndaa-vibrant-communities-initiative
MORE ABOUT MIKE SHORE:
Mike shore leads the Enterprise
division of Axon, the leading provider of de-escalation devices and
technology in public safety, including body-worn cameras, TASERs,
and SaaS. Axon's mission is to Protect Life, and Axon Enterprise is
focused on extending our mission outside of public safety,
specifically in Healthcare, Retail, and Private Security. Mike has
a BA in Economics from Harvard and an
MBA from Stanford.
MORE ABOUT KHRIS HAMLIN:
Khris
Hamlin serves as Vice President of Asset Protection for the
Retail Industry Leaders Association. In this role, Khris's primary
focus is to step-in to lead RILA's AP Committees, support content
development for the annual Retail AP Conference, and play a key
role in priority initiatives like Vibrant Communities. Most
recently Hamlin served as senior vice president of asset
protection, inventory control, and dc/logistics operations in
New York for Saks OFF 5TH, a
premier destination for luxury off-price fashion. In this role, he
led all corporate and store-level asset protection strategies, risk
assessments, inventory control, strategic asset protection hiring,
learning and development, risk mitigation, distribution center
operations, transportation, and logistics, along with total team
engagement. He also supported senior leadership as a member of the
executive leadership team (executive committee). Hamlin helped
drive the strategic planning process for risk management, and he
developed objectives that provided operational leverage and
industry-leading key performance indicators.
About Axon:
Axon is the technology leader in global public safety. Our
moonshot goal is to cut gun-related deaths between police and
the public in the U.S. by 50% before 2033. Axon is building the
public safety operating system of the future by integrating
hardware devices and cloud software solutions that lead modern
policing, defense and security. The Axon ecosystem includes TASER
energy devices, body-worn cameras, in-car cameras, cloud-hosted
digital evidence management solutions, productivity software,
real-time operations capabilities and third-party integrations
through Axon's partner network. Axon's growing global customer base
includes first responders across international, federal, state and
local law enforcement, fire, corrections and emergency medical
services, as well as the justice sector, commercial enterprises and
consumers.
About Retail Industry Leaders Association:
RILA is the US trade association for leading retailers. We convene
decision-makers, advocate for the industry, and promote operational
excellence and innovation. Our aim is to elevate a dynamic industry
by transforming the environment in which retailers operate. RILA
members include more than 200 retailers, product manufacturers, and
service suppliers, which together account for more than
$2.7 trillion in annual sales,
millions of American jobs, and hundreds of thousands of stores,
manufacturing facilities, and distribution centers domestically and
abroad.
MEDIA CONTACT: Victoria Keough,
press@axon.com
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SOURCE Axon