Research digests

One page per major report: what it measured, the headline findings with the exact figures, what changed, and how to use it in a program.

• Appriss Retail Total Retail Loss Benchmark 2026: what it found · Shrink and total retail loss
  The 2026 Total Retail Loss Benchmark puts employee theft at 29% of loss, inventory errors at 21%, operational inefficiencies at 13%, ORC at 10%.
• Cochrane reviews on de-escalation training 2020: what they found · Workplace violence and de-escalation
  Cochrane reviews of psychiatric and healthcare settings could not say whether de-escalation training works and found it may not reduce aggression.
• FTC Consumer Sentinel Data Book 2024: what it found on fraud losses · Scams and fraud
  FTC Consumer Sentinel data for 2024 show more than $12.5 billion in reported fraud losses, a 25% increase, with $212M lost via gift cards.
• FTC gift card data spotlight 2021: what it found about scam scripts · Scams and fraud
  The FTC's 2021 gift card spotlight found scammers coach victims on what to say to cashiers, keep them on the phone, and send them to several stores.
• FTC Protecting Older Consumers report 2025: what it found · Scams and fraud
  FTC report: people 60 and over reported nearly $2.4 billion in fraud losses, with gift cards among the payment methods most often reported.
• NRF Impact of Retail Theft and Violence 2026: what it found · Organized retail crime
  NRF's 2026 retail theft and violence report: shoplifting incidents fell, ORC methods kept evolving, violence stayed a concern. What it means for stores.