Retail
Amid Concerns Over Organised Retail Theft, Retailers Must Turn to Tech to Safeguard Stores and Enhance Customer Experience
Store closures underscore a critical tension retailers face: implementing security measures that deter criminals without creating friction that drives away legi
Key takeaways
Store closures underscore a critical tension retailers face: implementing security measures that deter criminals without creating friction that drives away legi
Target is set to close nine stores in cities including New York, Seattle, and San Francisco by October 21, amid concerns over theft and safety. In response to the growing concern of organized retail theft, Texas has established the Organized Retail Theft Task Force, with Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar appointing ten members from various sectors, including Amazon, eBay, and Target.
How can retailers effectively combat the rising tide of organized theft while ensuring a positive customer experience?
Dipayan Biswas, the Frank Harvey Endowed Professor of Marketing at the University of South Florida Tampa, suggests a multifaceted approach to address growing instances of organized retail theft.
“I think there’s enough scope to use technology to stop these kinds of behaviors or at least reduce it significantly,” Biswas said, emphasizing the potential of innovative solutions over more draconian measures.
There’s enough scope to use technology to stop these kinds of behaviors or at least reduce it significantly.
— Dipayan Biswas, Frank Harvey Endowed Professor of Marketing at University of South Florida Tampa
About the author
Dipayan Biswas, the Frank Harvey Endowed Professor of Marketing in the School of Marketing and Innovation, teaches an undergraduate-level course in basic marketing, a graduate-level course in brand management, and a PhD-level course in sensory marketing.<br/><br/> His key research interests are in the domains of sensory marketing and digital marketing, with focus on topics related to retailing, food, and health. His research has been published in the Journal of Consumer Research, the Journal of Marketing and the Journal of Marketing Research, among others.<br/><br/> He is an associate editor of the Journal of Marketing Research and on the editorial review boards of the Journal of Consumer Research and the Journal of Marketing. He is also an associate editor of the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Retailing, and Journal of Public Policy and Marketing.
