How Retailers Can Fight Back Against Rising Theft with Smarter ID Scanning

When you run a retail business, you know the drill: full shelves, busy checkout lanes, high customer traffic. But increasingly, you also face a hidden, growing threat. According to the recent National Retail Federation (NRF) and Loss Prevention Research Council study, retail theft and violence are rising sharply. Shoplifting incidents increased by 18% in 2024 vs 2023, and threats or acts of violence during theft events rose by 17%. 

That matters to everyone on your team, from the staff greeting customers to those handling returns and stock control. It also means that smarter technology should now be a front-line part of your asset protection strategy. Here’s why and how. 

1. The Theft & Violence Landscape Has Changed

• The study found that more than half of retailers surveyed reported increases in phone scams (70%), e-commerce & digital fraud (55%), shoplifting & merchandise theft (52%), and cargo or supply-chain theft (50%). 

• Organized retail crime (ORC) groups are increasingly transnational: 66-67% of retailers estimated involvement of such groups in thefts in the past year. 

• Retailers are investing more in layered security (cameras, lighting, locking cases, license-plate readers, revised store layouts), but the scale of the challenge remains large. 

The problem isn’t only theft in the old sense; it’s theft + fraud + violence + complex asset-protection risk. To win, retailers need a modern approach. 

2. Why Traditional Methods Are No Longer Enough

Manual checks, eye-level monitoring, and standard checkout surveillance still matter, but they face practical limitations: 

• Staff fatigue, especially during busy periods 

• Sophisticated fake IDs, identity swaps, or IDs that are partially valid 

• High traffic volumes masking suspicious behaviour 

• The need to balance customer experience with security 

This is where technology like ID scanning becomes a game-changer. 

3. How Patronscan’s ID Scanning Helps Retailers Stay One Step Ahead 

Here’s how Patronscan’s solution supports retail environments in major ways: 

• Instant Identity & Age Verification
  Scanning government-issued IDs gives your team immediate validation of name, date of birth, document authenticity and allows you to flag anomalies. 

• Fraud & Banned-Person Enforcement
  Integrated lists of banned individuals, self-exclusion lists, or those suspected of fraud can be cross-checked at entry or registration points, preventing these high-risk actors from walking in. 

• Audit Trail & Reporting
  Every scan leaves a timestamped record. In high-shrink environments, an audit trail lets you identify patterns, repeat offenders, and supports investigations. 

• Efficient Guest/Customer Flow
  Rather than manual ID checking, which slows entry or registration, scanning speeds things up, which helps maintain customer satisfaction while improving security. 

• Integration with Other Security Layers
  ID scanning becomes part of a multi-layered strategy: link it with CCTV, alarm triggers, occupancy analytics, or access-control systems to create a robust defense. 

It’s not just about “catching bad IDs”, it’s about reducing risk, protecting staff, protecting inventory, and improving confidence in your location’s security posture. 

4. Three Ways Retailers Should Deploy ID Scanning Now

Here are actionable suggestions for retail operations: 

1. Entry/Registration Zones 
   For stores with loyalty programs, membership check-in, or age-restricted products (liquor, tobacco, high value items), make ID scanning part of the process. 
   
   
2. High-Risk Product Areas 
   Consider scanning or verifying identity when customers request access to premium or high-risk items (e.g., electronics, cigarettes, alcohol, high-end cosmetics) to deter theft.
   
   
3. Incident Follow-Up & Analytics 
   Use the data from scans to monitor patterns: suspicious repeat entries, flagged identities, time stamps of high loss events. Then adjust staffing, layout, or policy accordingly. 
   

5. Why Now Is the Time to Act 

• With theft and violence rising rapidly, every retailer needs smarter tools, not just to react, but to prevent. 

• Failure to act may mean higher loss percentages, damaged reputation, lower staff morale, increased insurance / shrink costs. 

• Investing in ID-verification technology positions retailers as proactive, trusted, and secure environments which increasingly matters to consumers and business partners alike. 

6. Wrapping Up & What’s Next

The retail world is changing. Threats are more sophisticated, and criminal actors are more daring. But you don’t have to face the challenge alone. 

With Patronscan, you can add a robust layer of identity verification to your asset-protection toolkit, reduce risk, protect your team, and improve operational confidence. 
It’s not about needing more staff; it’s about equipping them with smarter tools. 

Get Started 

Want to see how Patronscan fits into your store environment? Let’s set up a demo and explore how identity verification technology can work for your business.