Interface Systems has published its 2026 Retail Loss Prevention Benchmark Report, drawing from 1.6 million remote monitoring events collected across 18,258 retail sites and 51 brands in the United States throughout 2025.
The study aims to equip retail loss prevention managers with data to discern peak risk periods, the rapid escalation of threats, and the most effective intervention strategies at numerous monitored locations.
Pressures on Loss Prevention Teams
According to Interface Systems CEO Brent Duncan, "Loss prevention teams are under more pressure than ever to protect people, reduce shrink, and justify every dollar spent on security. This report gives them the data and the confidence to make those decisions." Primary concerns identified in the report include theft/loss, disturbances, and loitering/panhandling, with additional tracked threats including crime, assault, theft, property damage, robbery, and medical emergencies.
The report highlights predictable retail risks, noting that incidents increase by 363% during store openings and peak between 6 and 8 PM. Sundays and Mondays account for 30% of weekly incident occurrences, with Thursday showing the highest police dispatch rate of any weekday.
Impact of Remote Video Monitoring
Employee vulnerability reaches peaks during store transitions; notably at 10 AM and 7 PM
Interactive remote video monitoring is effective in de-escalation, with 62.4% of significant security events resolved without police intervention. Voice-down technology, involving real-time communication by trained specialists through on-site speakers, resolved 99.7% of employee assistance situations without needing law enforcement.
Video verification technology helps minimize false alarms, with 95% of alarms identified as false and resolved without dispatch. Employee vulnerability reaches peaks during store transitions; notably at 10 AM and 7 PM, consistent with opening and closing times.
Loitering and Disturbances Trends
Loitering and disturbances consistently require more escalation, with dispatch rates between 65-82%, and incidents peaking between 6 and 8 PM alongside general incident volume. Pre-holiday activities tend to be riskier than the holidays themselves, with an average of 148 incidents recorded the day before compared to 138 on the holiday.
Performance of Virtual Perimeter Guard
The report also details the performance of Interface Systems' Virtual Perimeter Guard, which combines AI detection with human oversight from Interactive Security Operations Centers (iSOCs). Activated 23,810 times across 29 sites, 96.1% of perimeter threats were automatically resolved using voice-down protocols, with only 4% requiring live intervention. Just one police dispatch was necessary during these activations.
The full 2026 Retail Loss Prevention Benchmark Report, complete with detailed charts, segment analyses, and recommendations, is available on the Interface Systems website. It offers valuable insights for loss prevention leaders, who can also request a free security assessment to evaluate their current risk profiles and discover interactive monitoring and AI-driven perimeter solutions to minimize risks at their facilities.
Interface Systems, a provider of AI-powered security and expert remote video monitoring for restaurants, retailers, and commercial businesses, today released its 2026 Retail Loss Prevention Benchmark Report, an annual study based on 1.6 million remote monitoring events across 18,258 U.S. retail locations and 51 brands throughout 2025.
The report provides operational data at a scale to help retail loss prevention leaders understand when risk peaks, which threats escalate fastest, and which intervention strategies prove most effective across thousands of monitored locations.
Loss prevention teams
"Loss prevention teams are under more pressure than ever to protect people, reduce shrink, and justify every dollar spent on security. This report gives them the data and the confidence to make those decisions," said Brent Duncan, CEO of Interface Systems.
Location Theft/Loss, Disturbances, and Loitering/Panhandling are the top retail threats by volume. Other threats tracked included criminal events, battery/assault, theft, property damage, robbery, and medical emergencies.
High-priority security events
Retail risk is predictable. Store opening times recorded a 363% spike in security incidents and peak volume of incidents are recorded between 6 and 8 PM. Sundays and Mondays combined account for 30% of weekly incident volume, while Thursdays carry the highest police dispatch rate of the week.
Interactive remote video monitoring reduces escalation. 62.4% of high-priority security events were resolved without police dispatch when interactive remote video monitoring was deployed. Voice-down intervention, where a trained intervention specialist communicates in real time through on-site speakers, resolved 99.7% of employee assistance requests without law enforcement involvement.
Eliminating false alarms
Video verification eliminates false alarms. 95% of alarm events were identified as false alarms through live video verification and resolved without dispatch.
Employee vulnerability peaks at transitions, not peak hours. Of the 1.1 million employee assistance requests logged in 2025, demand was highest at 10 AM (97,432 requests) and peaked at 7 PM (146,672 requests), aligning with store opening and closing times.
Loitering and disturbances have higher rates of escalation. Loitering and disturbances have a consistently high dispatch rate ranging from 65-82%. Both categories peak daily between 6 and 8 PM, the same window as overall incident volume.
Expert human monitoring
The day before a holiday carries more risk than the actual holiday itself. Pre-holiday days averaged 148 incidents versus 138 on actual holidays, representing a 5.5% incident drop on holiday.
The report also includes performance data from Interface's Virtual Perimeter Guard, an AI-powered perimeter security solution that combines autonomous detection with expert human monitoring from Interface’s Interactive Security Operations Centers (iSOCs).
Free security assessment
Across 29 distributed locations, Virtual Perimeter Guard Units were activated 23,810 times, resolved 96.1% of perimeter threats automatically through a staged voice-down protocol, and escalated 4% of the events to a live intervention specialist. Just one police dispatch was recorded across all 23,810 activations. The full breakdown of the activation stages and resolution rates is included in the report.
The complete 2026 Retail Loss Prevention Benchmark Report is available now at interface systems website. The full report includes detailed charts, segment analyses across discount retail and jewelry formats, and actionable takeaways for loss prevention leaders. Loss prevention leaders can also request a free security assessment to benchmark their incident profile and identify where interactive remote video monitoring and AI-enabled perimeter deterrence can reduce risk at their locations.
