NEW RESEARCH

Three threats drive 88% of retail security incidents

The 2026 Retail Loss Prevention Benchmark Report analyzes 1.6 million monitoring events across 18,258 U.S. retail locations and 51 brands to reveal when risk peaks, which threats escalate fastest, and what stops them.
 
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THE CHALLENGE

Most LP teams build security programs around assumptions, not data

Retail shrink continues to rise. Budgets are under pressure. And most loss prevention teams lack the operational data to know exactly when, where, and how risk concentrates across their locations. This report changes that.

53,369

High-priority security events analyzed

88%+

Of threats come from just three categories

6-8 PM

Peak escalation window across all locations

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

Key findings from the report

Each finding is backed by real operational data from monitored retail locations, not survey responses. Here is a preview of what the full report covers.

363%

Incidents spike at store opening and peak between 6-8 PM

Sundays and Mondays account for 30% of weekly incident volume. Thursdays carry the highest dispatch rate.

Full hourly and weekly charts in the report
62.4%
Of high-priority events resolved without police dispatch
 
Intervention specialists verified, intervened via live audio, or coordinated with on-site staff before dispatch was needed.
 
Full resolution breakdown by event type in the report
99.7%
Voice-down interventions resolved without law enforcement
 
Real-time audio intervention is the most effective de-escalation tool at scale.
 
Detailed employee assistance analysis in the report
95%
Of alarm events resolved as false alarms via video verification
 
Out of 270,329 alarm events, video verification eliminated unnecessary emergency responses.
 
Alarm event methodology in the report
96.1%
Of perimeter threats resolved automatically by Virtual Perimeter Guard
 
Across 23,810 activations at 29 locations, AI-enabled perimeter deterrence handled first-line response with only one police dispatch recorded.
 
Full staged activation funnel in the report
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WHO IS THIS REPORT FOR

Built for retail loss prevention professionals

VP/Director Loss Prevention  

Benchmark your program against real operational data from 18,258 locations

District and Regional Managers

Align staffing and monitoring coverage to actual risk patterns by daypart and day of week

Security Operations Leaders

Evaluate interactive monitoring, video verification, and perimeter deterrence with real performance data

REPORT HIGHLIGHTS

How interactive monitoring changes outcomes

Interface Systems combines AI-powered technologies with expert remote video monitoring by trained intervention specialists from its U.S.-based Interactive Security Operations Centers (iSOCs).

99.7%

Voice-down resolved without dispatch

95%

Alarm events verified as false alarms

96.1%

Perimeter threats resolved automatically

VIRTUAL PERIMETER GUARD: 23, 810 ACTIVATIONS

ABOUT THE DATA

Real operational data, not survey responses

Each finding is backed by real operational data from monitored retail locations, not survey responses. Here is a preview of what the full report covers.

This report draws on anonymized operational data from Interface Systems’ Interactive Security Operations Centers (iSOCs), covering January through December 2025. The dataset includes 1.6 million monitoring events, 53,369 high-priority security events, 18,258 U.S. retail locations, and 51 distinct retail brands. High-priority events cover criminal activity, disruptive activity, and emergency response. Routine events such as video tours, false alarms, and system health checks are excluded from the high-priority analysis.

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