Inside the Data War on Retail Crime, with Agilence CEO Russ Hawkins

Why it mattersOrganized retail crime has evolved into a coordinated, data-driven business, forcing retailers to elevate loss prevention from a back-office security function to a strategic, cross-functional priority tied directly to profit protection.What’s changingRetailers are moving from reactive responses to predictive ORC models.Disparate systems are being unified across POS, video, loyalty, and location data.Early, non-confrontational customer engagement is proving to be a powerful deterrent.AI is translating complex data into clear risks and recommended actions.How it worksHawkins outlines a four-layer analytics model:Descriptive: What’s happening across stores, products, and regions.Diagnostic: Why losses are occurring, including methods and networks.Predictive: What’s likely to happen next based on patterns and risk scoring.Prescriptive: What actions store teams and leaders should take.Bottom lineLoss prevention is no longer about catching shoplifters; it is about using data, analytics, and AI to protect margins, employees, and customers at scale.Retail's Most Wanted is presented by LVT and the Attorney General Alliance.