Sell more and lose less - with ECR Retail Loss — Podcast

Live Facial Recognition in Retail 11.06.2026 16min

Professor Emmeline Taylor joins Colin Peacock to explore how retailers around the world are deploying live facial recognition and what it takes to get it right when it comes to reducing losses while maintaining privacy.They break the conversation into three areas.Firstly, organisational readiness: why deploying facial recognition in retail is not about flicking a switch, and why it can take years to align policies, training, data protection and governance across as many as twelve different principles.Secondly, the business case: one retailer reported a 20% reduction in shrink, but regulators are pushing back on some use cases and insisting the technology is proportionate to legitimate purposes such as violence reduction and in-store safety, not just financial ROI.Thirdly, sustainable deployment: how retailers can maintain public trust through transparency, clear signage, and holding the line on minimum standards.They also discuss watch list management, the risk of surveillance creep, the distinction between live and retrospective facial recognition, and why the parallels with early CCTV adoption suggest this technology will become the norm within a generation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Exception Based Reporting in Retail 28.05.2026 16min

Professor Emmeline Taylor joins Colin Peacock to discuss how Exception Based Reporting (EBR) is being used across retail to tackle staff dishonesty and drive cultural change.Drawing on a new ECR Retail Loss survey of businesses across 19 countries, they explore the four key data points retailers are using to reduce losses by flagging internal theft: voided items, refunds to the same card, manual discounts and staff loyalty card misuse.83% of respondents are already using EBR for some form of data analysis around employee theft.But the conversation goes beyond detection. One retailer showed how transparency and communication around EBR drove deterrence, reducing individual case values from four figures to two.They also discuss why video integration remains underused, why store managers need ownership of the data alongside central teams, and why EBR needs to extend beyond bricks-and-mortar cashiers to cover order pickers, delivery drivers and third-party fulfilment as fulfilment methods diversify. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Forecourt Crime 14.05.2026 11min

Professor Emmeline Taylor joins Colin Peacock to discuss the latest findings on forecourt crime rom ECR Retail Loss working group meetings.They explore why pay at pump is not the silver bullet for drive-offs and no means of payment, despite its appeal as a target-hardening measure.The conversation covers how one retailer combined ANPR technology with better signage and streamlined reporting to achieve a significant reduction in forecourt theft. But a growing problem is undermining ANPR: ghost plates. A recent report suggested one in 15 vehicles across England and Wales is now driving on false number plates. Emmeline and Colin discuss the governance risks for lone-working forecourt staff, the disparity in loss rates across retailers, and the value of law enforcement partnerships. They also consider how video analytics could help detect cloned plates in future, and why government action on ghost plates is needed before the problem becomes normalised. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

RFID Innovations in Retail 30.04.2026 13min

Dr Susanne Guth-Orlowski of the RAIN Alliance joins Colin Peacock to reflect on the 2025 ECR RFID Innovation Summit in Düsseldorf, hosted by C&A.Around 70 retailers attended, from those with 20 years of RFID experience to those just getting started.The conversation covers what stood out: the diversity of RFID use cases across fashion, sports and home retail, the Qualcomm presentation on bringing RFID reading to mobile phones, and how the EU's digital product passport regulation is creating new opportunities for RAIN RFID as a data carrier. They also discuss the innovation showcase featuring startups working on overhead readers, sustainable tags and AI-driven data analysis, and look ahead to the 2026 summit in Madrid. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Loss Prevention Consultancy 16.04.2026 17min

Sophie Wong joins Colin Peacock to talk about leaving corporate life at Coles to launch her own retail loss prevention consultancy, Positively Powered.She shares the good, the bad, and the ugly of going it alone: from the freedom to think creatively and work across different retail organisations, to the reality of building a business from scratch without a steady paycheck.Sophie and Colin discuss why loss is everyone's responsibility, why it belongs on the C-suite agenda, and why loss prevention teams cannot solve complex shrink problems without cross-functional support. Sophie also offers practical advice for anyone considering a similar move, covering financial planning, defining a unique selling proposition, and the importance of constantly learning. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Returns Fraud 02.04.2026 18min

Professor Michael Townsley and Dr Andrew Childs join Colin Peacock to discuss new ECR Retail Loss research into returns fraud and abuse.Drawing on a survey of nearly 6,000 consumers across four countries and an investigation into dark web fraud communities, they reveal how widespread problematic return behaviours really are, why most offenders experience no friction at all, and the three practical steps every retailer should take now. Topics include wardrobing, Did Not Arrive claims, social engineering of team members, crime scripts, and why environmental messaging may work better than punitive measures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Retail Supply Chain Theft 19.03.2026 13min

The scale of retail supply chain theft is hard to ignore. With some retailers reporting $200 million worth of freight on the road on any given day, even a small percentage of loss translates into significant financial damage. Yet many businesses still allocate minimal resources to tackling the problem.In this episode, Professor Emmeline Taylor draws on her research into freight crime and findings from a recent ECR Retail Loss working group to explore why this area of loss has been overlooked and what can be done about it.From the dramatic jump-up in thefts captured on video to the quieter threat of agency drivers infiltrating supply chains, the discussion covers a wide range of tactics used by offenders and the practical countermeasures available to retailers.The conversation also touches on GPS tracking, pallet recognition technology, tamper-proof packaging, and the importance of cross-functional collaboration between loss prevention, logistics, and law enforcement. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Predicting Inventory Record Inaccuracies 03.03.2026 12min

Predicting inventory inaccuracies is a practical way for retailers to target the items most likely to be wrong, rather than counting everything equally.Colin Peacock speaks with Aris Syntetos, Yacine Rekik and Christoph Glock about a decade of ECR research into inventory record inaccuracy, why it matters for availability and loss, and what interventions can make a difference.They share headline figures on how widespread record errors can be, how sales can be affected, and how prediction can help retailers prioritise audits and action.They also discuss the Mastering Inventory Accuracy In Retail leadership training that three professors are running for ECR Retail Loss on 9-10 December. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Facial Recognition 11.09.2025 13min

Facial recognition is delivering serious results—one retailer reported a 25% drop in shrink—but it’s still on shaky ground.Professor Emmeline Taylor and Colin Peacock return to explore the real-world complexities of deploying this technology, from shared watchlists and legal grey areas to misidentifications that can make headlines.As more retailers turn to facial recognition, getting the human touch right is crucial: who gets notified, how they respond, and how trust is maintained.With a code of practice now on the table, this is a must-listen for anyone working through their own policies for facial recognition. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Staff Dishonesty and Internal Theft 28.08.2025 16min

Internal theft is responsible for a huge chunk of retail loss—yet only 2% of cases ever come to light.Professor Emmeline Taylor joins Colin Peacock to discuss the rising complexity of staff dishonesty, from sweethearting and fake returns to collusion at self-checkouts and e-commerce touchpoints.Drawing on new ECR research, she explores how smarter comms, not bigger budgets, could make the biggest difference.Think nudges over finger-pointing—reminding colleagues of the risks, responsibilities and shared values.If retailers can deliver even a small shift in behaviour the potential savings could be enormous. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quick Commerce 14.08.2025 16min

What happens when someone orders five beers and a bag of crisps to arrive within 15 minutes but the store only has four beers?Professor Daniel Corsten joins Colin Peacock on the podcast to dissect the economics and challenges of quick commerce. And why they so often don’t add up.From soaring labour costs to out-of-stocks and substitutions, it’s a model that struggles to work in higher-wage markets.Daniel shares fresh insights on where picking costs stack up, the hidden toll of substitutions, and the smart interventions that might make fast fulfilment more viable.A timely reality check for retailers chasing speed and customer satisfaction. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Shelf Availability 31.07.2025 21min

Cameras don’t solve on-shelf availability—but they support it.Daniel Corsten joins Colin Peacock to discuss the latest ECR Retail Loss research and explains why shelf image technology is best seen as an enhancer, not a silver bullet.Supported by case-studies, he explores how retailers are using robots, badges, and fixed cameras to complement—not replace—traditional ways to measure on shelf availability. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wardrobing 17.07.2025 17min

Criminologist Joe Clare shares practical lessons from ECR Retail Loss’s recent returns fraud research, revealing how a small group of repeat offenders can drive the bulk of losses. Even though 14% of all customers admit to doing it.Clothing dominates, but camping gear and electronics are also potential targets.He discusses with Colin Peacock how profiling, policy changes, and strategic tagging can disrupt this pseudo-rental behaviour—without damaging the customer experience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Food Waste 03.07.2025 14min

Despite being the cheapest option for food redistribution, less than a quarter of major retailers donate surplus food to their store colleagues.Colin Peacock and ECR Retail Loss’s expert food waste advisor Richard Thalemann explain how one retailer overcame fraud fears, tax headaches and tech hurdles to build a safe, scalable solution that’s a potential blueprint for others to follow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Face recognition 19.06.2025 18min

Some retailers report up to a 25% shrink reduction when they use face recognition.In this episode, Colin and Emmeline explore how stores across the US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand are deploying biometric recognition—mostly for watchlist alerts—but also for access control and retrospective investigations.They also tackle the legal, regulatory and ethical issues that retailers the world over are discussing with policymakers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Forecourt Losses 05.06.2025 14min

Is pay-at-pump a quick fix or a false promise? How can retailers reduce drive-offs and maintain supplementary spending?Professor Emmeline Taylor joins Colin Peacock to examine the evolving tactics retailers are using to fight forecourt losses.From digital reporting platforms to the strategic use of ANPR, the episode sheds light on how tech, training, and smarter reporting are reshaping the future of forecourt security. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Benchmarking E-Commerce Loss 22.05.2025 15min

This week, Colin Peacock is joined by Professor Michael Townsley to reflect on ECR Retail Loss’s first-ever meeting focused on benchmarking KPIs for e-commerce loss — an increasingly vital yet under-defined area of retail loss prevention.Drawing on insights from six global retailers, they explore how different teams are measuring key metrics like acceptance rates, chargebacks, returns disputes, and fraud — often using different language to describe the same problems.Their discussion also highlights the gap between malicious and non-malicious losses, and the importance of creating a unified framework for tracking both.With the goal of building clear benchmarks for the industry, they highlight the need for deeper collaboration, better data, and more interventions to tackle e-commerce loss. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Security Officers 15.05.2025 10min

This week, Colin Peacock and Professor Emmeline Taylor discuss the evolving role of security officers in retail.And how training, integration, and investment can significantly enhance their impact - to reduce losses.Drawing on insights from over 70 retailers and expert presentations, the discussion highlights the importance of moving beyond a more procurement-based view of hourly guarding towards one where security officers provide multiple benefits with clear KPI’s.From customer service to crime deterrence, the pair conclude that the right training and support can transform the role of security officers into a central part of store safety and performance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Security Operations Centres 08.05.2025 12min

This week, Colin Peacock is joined by Professor Emmeline Taylor to explore how retailers are evolving their Security Operations Centres (SOCs) into powerful hubs for crime prevention, safety, and store support.Based on insights from a benchmark study of 29 retailers and a live case study, they discuss how SOCs are being used for everything from live incident response and evidence gathering to virtual store audits and lone-worker protection. They reflect on how SOCs can help reduce losses, support staff morale, and even improve relationships with local police forces.As the technology capabilities explode and use cases multiply, they discuss how SOCs are becoming essential tools in creating safer, more efficient, and more resilient retail operations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cash Loss 01.05.2025 10min

This week, Colin Peacock and Professor Emmeline Taylor zoom in on the often-overlooked issue of cash loss in retail.They reflect on how internal theft, counterfeit currency, and operational inefficiencies all contribute to losses, and how a mix of simple process changes and smarter, tech-driven solutions are helping retailers halve their cash losses in a matter of months.From training and cultural change to intelligent detection and exception reporting, the session offers practical steps to better manage cash loss in today’s retail landscape. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.