Organized Retail Crime
The issue
Organized retail crime is the large-scale theft of retail merchandise with the intent to sell the items for financial gain. ORC typically involves a criminal enterprise directing or employing individuals who steal large quantities of merchandise from across the retail enterprise and a structured hierarchy that collects and redistributes the stolen goods. Stolen items are then sold through various venues (online, flea markets, pawn shops, back to retail), with the proceeds for profit or used to support other nefarious crimes.
Deep Dive
Learn more about how ORC affects retailers and shoppers.
ORC-related violence and theft continue to affect the retail industry, particularly in the last three years. The economic impact on national and small business retailers is significant, but the broader consequence is that these crimes jeopardize the safety of store employees and customers.
ORC investigations are growing harder as criminal groups expand in scale and sophistication. In 2025, more than half of the retailers surveyed reported increases in phone scams (70%), digital and ecommerce frauds (55%), shoplifting and merchandise theft (52%), and cargo or supply chain thefts (50%) being conducted by ORC groups. These groups now exploit both physical and digital channels, operating seamlessly across state lines and even borders. In fact, 66% of retailers reported transnational ORC involvement in thefts against their companies since 2024, underscoring the need for coordinated federal action.
Why it matters to retailers
The retail industry plays a critical role in supporting local communities and economies, offering jobs, providing access to essential goods and contributing to local causes. However, the increasing losses from theft and ORC extend far beyond financial impacts.
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Organized retail crime is on the rise. Join us and tell Congress to act now.
Retailers’ top priority is ensuring the safety of associates, customers and the shopping environment. While theft undoubtedly affects margins, retailers remain focused on implementing security measures and technologies and building community partnerships to deter retail crimes and protect against organized criminal activity.
According to NRF’s Impact of Retail Theft & Violence 2026 report, their efforts indicate both signs of progress and the evolution of organized retail crime causing impacts throughout the retail environment.
Retailers reported a slight decrease in shoplifting, merchandise theft and acts of violence associated with retail theft. Although in-store incidents show some stabilization over previous years, 50% of retailers reported an increase in repeat offender activity and a 40% increase in ORC-related shoplifting. These remain indicators of store theft for the purpose of selling and re-distributing stolen goods, not for personal need.
Organized retail criminals continue to adapt, driving increases in cargo theft, loyalty fraud, phone scams, gift card frauds and other forms of external theft. Retailers report criminal tactics are evolving across physical and digital retail channels, requiring retailers to continue to invest in technologies, employee training and other security measures to protect employees, customers and merchandise.
Collaboration between retailers and law enforcement continue to strengthen, yet remains limited by resources, cross-jurisdictional activity and lack of information sharing. Sixty-one percent of retailers found limited law enforcement resources followed by cross-jurisdictional thefts (49%) and lack of multi-agency information sharing and investigative coordination (49%) negatively impact their ability to investigate and prosecute ORC-related criminals.
Retailers continue their efforts to maintain a safe shopping environment and work with law enforcement against organized theft groups. Yet, ORC is a national issue, involving criminal groups beyond a retailer’s capability. Fifty-three percent of retailers reported participating in law enforcement investigations involving transnational theft groups over the past year. ORC is a transnational issue with a broad reach — an issue that retailers cannot solve alone.
NRF advocates to stop ORC
Organized retail crime and related thefts cannot be solved by the retail industry alone. Addressing this issue requires collaboration between retailers, law enforcement, prosecutors, community leaders and legislators, with action needed at local, state and national levels.
NRF Report: “The Impact of Retail Theft & Violence 2026”
Learn more about theft and violence in today's retail crime landscape in this study, conducted in partnership with the Loss Prevention Research Council and sponsored by Sensormatic Solutions.
NRF continues to ask Congress to provide federal support against ORC, working to strengthen local and state efforts against these criminal groups. Organized retail crime groups operate across varying scope and scale, adapting and evolving their criminal activity across physical and online environments, taking profit and product beyond U.S. borders. Federal legislation is urgently needed to provide nationwide intelligence, investigative support and law enforcement resources. That’s why 90% of retailers agree that federal action would be beneficial in identifying, investigating and disrupting organized retail crime groups.
NRF strongly supports the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025 (S. 1404/H.R. 2853), which would establish a new Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center. The Center would align efforts, expertise and resources across local, state, federal and private-sector partners, improving information-sharing and enabling more coordinated investigations and prosecutions.
Since its introduction in April, over 200 bipartisan members of Congress have signed on as co-sponsors, including a majority of the House Judiciary Committee. The Senate Judiciary Committee also held a full hearing addressing the urgent need to pass CORCA. NRF submitted comments for the record.
Beyond advocacy, NRF supports ORC prevention efforts through education, alliances and other regional efforts. NRF’s ORC/Investigators’ Network brings together more than 1,000 retail asset protection professionals, members of law enforcement and prosecutors to share information, develop strategies and form partnerships to identify, detect and disrupt organized retail crime groups. ORC is also a key focus area of NRF PROTECT, NRF’s annual loss prevention and asset protection conference.
For media inquiries about organized retail crime, please email press@nrf.com or call 855-NRF-PRESS.
Dive into organized retail crime
Take a deep dive into ORC to discover more about the issue, how it differs from shoplifting and why it matters to consumers today.
What is organized retail crime?
Organized retail crime is the large-scale theft of retail merchandise or digital goods with the intent to distribute and sell the items for financial gain. ORC is often confused with individual crimes and thefts like shoplifting, cargo theft and online frauds; all of these crimes can be in support of ORC groups.
ORC typically involves a criminal enterprise or group of individuals, working in a coordinated structure and directing the theft of goods in large quantities for the purpose of selling those goods into the marketplace for profit. These ORC groups utilize certain structures or hierarchies to conduct theft operations and eventual sale of stolen goods. Common ORC roles include:
Shoplifters, boosters or fraudsters that conduct the original thefts. These individuals may be directed to steal specific merchandise or target specific locations
Stolen goods are then “sold” to a fencing location for pennies on the dollar. This location takes in the goods and begins its movement back to the consumer.
Product is then moved through ORC distribution channels, where the items may be sold on online platforms or marketplaces or even back to physical local retail stores, flea markets or other marketplaces.
Larger, transnational ORC groups may move product or proceeds beyond U.S. borders, shipping stolen goods to other countries for sale.
Some groups use ORC as a means of supporting or engaging in collateral crimes such as drug and weapon trafficking and human smuggling.
What is the difference between ORC and shoplifting?
The retail industry has been dealing with shoplifting, including “professional shoplifters,” for decades. Historically, shoplifting was known as an invisible crime; an individual or few stealing specific goods by concealing merchandise and attempting to leave the store unnoticed. Many thefts were due to personal need — food, clothing or items to help individuals burdened with personal hardships, afflictions or addictions. This is viewed as a crime of need, where ORC has really become a crime of greed.
According to NRF’s report, “The Impact of Retail Theft & Violence 2025,” retailers experienced a combined 19% increase in shoplifting and merchandise theft incidents from 2024. Retailers are also impacted by a higher number of repeated offenders and a more diverse range of targeted goods stolen per incident. These are all indicators that individuals are stealing more for “greed,” not individual need.
Efforts by retail loss prevention teams and law enforcement at local, state and federal levels continue to learn more about crimes supporting ORC groups. Often challenging, these investigations take considerable time, intelligence gathering and resources to identify ORC groups, which may engage in local to transnational activity. Shoplifting is also not the only crime committed in support of ORC. Cargo theft, refund and return frauds, ecommerce and gift card frauds losses are crimes that can be attributed to supporting ORC groups.
Why is federal legislation like the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act necessary to address ORC?
Organized retail crime is not just a retail issue — it’s a public safety and economic concern that affects consumers nationwide. While the INFORM Consumers Act of 2022 improved transparency in online marketplaces, it didn’t fully address the complex and evolving nature of ORC networks. That’s where CORCA comes in.
CORCA builds on previous efforts by enhancing coordination between federal, state, and local law enforcement, supporting investigations, and strengthening penalties for those involved in organized retail theft. With more than 30 state laws already amended or enacted since 2022, CORCA is a critical next step in creating a unified national response to protect communities and consumers from the growing impact of ORC.
Why does ORC matter to consumers?
Consumers rely on the retail industry to provide safe, available and affordable products. When theft occurs at higher frequencies, these goods become unavailable for purchase.
Stolen goods, particularly perishables or date-sensitive products, can be dangerous when expiration dates are altered or removed or the products are not stored properly, such as in a temperature-controlled environment. To maintain product integrity, retailers are forced to take drastic measures — removing goods from shelves or locking them behind security barriers. These actions, although necessary, drive up costs for retailers and degrade the shopping experience for consumers.
These measures have real consequences, with increased security costs leading to higher prices, a less enjoyable shopping experience, and lost sales. As consumers, we should ask ourselves: What has changed in the retail environment that has caused them to take these drastic security measures?