Organized Retail Crime Is No Longer Just a Big Box Problem, What Small Store Owners Must Know

For most store owners, theft has always been part of the business. You manage inventory shrink, train your team, and stay vigilant on the sales floor. But what’s happening across the U.S. right now is no longer just petty shoplifting. It’s something much larger—and far more dangerous.

According to NRF Organized Retail Crime (ORC) is rising fast. And unlike isolated incidents of theft, these are highly coordinated criminal operations that often cross state lines, involve multiple actors, and sometimes even span international borders.

If you're a store owner trying to run your business, this isn’t just a “big box problem.” Independent retailers are being hit just as hard, and many feel like they’re fighting it alone.

Let’s break down what’s happening, why this surge in organized retail crime matters for every retail business, and how national efforts like the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA) may finally bring much-needed support.

What Is Organized Retail Crime?

Unlike casual shoplifting, ORC involves carefully planned theft rings that steal large volumes of merchandise. These criminals often:

• Target multiple stores in the same region or across state lines.
  
• Resell stolen goods through online marketplaces, flea markets, or overseas.
  
• Use stolen identities, fraudulent credit cards, or even insider assistance.
  
• Fund larger criminal enterprises, including trafficking and fraud schemes.
  
  

In other words, this is no longer about one person pocketing a small item. These are sophisticated, often dangerous operations that threaten store employees, drain inventory, drive up prices, and ultimately impact your store's bottom line.

Why State Laws Aren’t Enough

Many states have started passing laws to address ORC. In 2025 alone:

• 9 states passed new ORC-related laws.
  
• 31 states considered a total of 74 ORC-related bills.
  
  

While these state-level efforts show how serious the problem has become, they can only go so far. Criminal organizations don’t respect state borders—and law enforcement often struggles to pursue offenders across jurisdictions. What’s legal in one state may not apply in the next, allowing these crime rings to slip through legal loopholes.

This is where many store owners feel frustrated: you’re doing everything you can locally, but the larger networks keep operating unchecked.

Why Federal Leadership Is Finally Stepping In

The missing piece has been clear for years: federal coordination.

This spring, the National Retail Federation brought dozens of retail loss prevention leaders to Washington, D.C., to push for the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA). This bipartisan bill would:

• Create a national Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center under the Department of Homeland Security.
  
• Enable real-time data sharing between federal, state, and local agencies.
  
• Strengthen investigations that cross state and international borders.
  
• Allow retailers to work directly with law enforcement as partners.
  
• Target high-level offenders who lead these complex crime networks.
  
  

As of June 2025, CORCA has strong bipartisan support, with 85 co-sponsors in the House and 23 in the Senate. Momentum is growing.

What This Means For Store Owners

While federal legislation may feel far removed from your day-to-day operations, store owners have a huge stake in this fight. ORC:

• Drives up inventory shrink and loss.
  
• Creates unsafe conditions for employees and customers.
  
• Forces stores to spend more on security and loss prevention.
  
• Contributes to higher prices for honest shoppers.
  
  

The passage of CORCA won’t eliminate ORC overnight, but it would bring federal-level tools and coordination to the problem—something most retailers simply don’t have access to today.

"You can’t manage what you can’t track. Organized retail crime is bigger than any one store—but staying aware, training your team, and supporting national solutions like CORCA gives small retailers a stronger voice. When retailers speak up together, real change happens."

Need help securing and strengthening your retail operations?

At Thriving Retailer, we help independent retailers like you:

• Streamline operations to minimize shrink.
• Train staff to recognize theft risks.
• Implement better POS systems for stronger inventory control.
• Stay informed about legislation that directly impacts your business.
  
  

Explore our VIP 1-on-1 coaching session with Rachael to build a stronger, safer store—no matter what challenges the retail world throws your way.