When people talk about shoplifting and organized retail crime (ORC), they tend to focus on the bottom-line impact on businesses. That makes sense because the numbers aren’t small, according to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) The Impact of Theft & Violence 2026 report.
“The 2026 report demonstrates a concerning shift as criminals move beyond traditional shoplifting to more sophisticated external theft schemes, with retailers reporting higher rates of repeat offenders (50%), ORC-related incidents (40%), and walkout or pushout theft (37%). Fraud is also rising, with phone scams (69%), loyalty fraud (51%) and gift card theft or fraud (42%) increasing,” the data showed.
The NRF, however, does not focus on how theft and thieves impact frontline retail workers.
A new report from HALOS, a bodycam company used by Walmart, Target, Kroger, TJ Maxx, H&M, and Aldi, shows that it does, and that the impact is quite severe.
Here’s why frontline retail workers might quit
“Two-thirds of frontline workers have experienced customer aggression acutely enough that they’ve considered leaving their job,” according to HALOS’ study of 2,500 frontline employees.
The report found that nearly two in five of the surveyed workers said customer abuse is treated as “just part of the job” where they work. And nearly 40% say customer aggression has increased over the past 12 months.
In addition, the study found that 57% of frontline workers experienced customer abuse or know a colleague who had during a typical four-week period.
Other key findings included:
- Nearly 30% of survey respondents said they did not report the last serious customer aggression incident they experienced.
- Of those, 32% said they did not believe the incident was serious enough, 28% believed nothing would happen if they reported it, and 13% worried about potential repercussions.
- When incidents were reported, only 43% said action was ultimately taken.
“The research also found weaknesses in reporting processes themselves. Nearly one-third of respondents said reporting takes too much time during an active shift, and only 55% believe reporting leads to meaningful action,” according to HALOS.
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Management has to play an active role in worker safety
Back when I ran a large toy store in Manchester, Conn., I occasionally had to deal with aggressive customers. Usually, it was older male shoppers making inappropriate comments to younger, female workers.
In one case, an older man became quite abusive and told multiple workers they were “stupid” because we did not sell the items he was looking for.
As the manager, I stepped in, spoke to the customer, and told him that if he spoke to my employees that way, he would be asked to leave the store. He calmed down for that visit, but then on a future trip repeated his abusive comments and was escorted out of the store.
Dick’s Sporting Goods, in 2024, changed how it handled aggressive customers. Under the past policy, every effort was made to appease the customer.
In the past, Dick’s managers would respond to customer conflicts by apologizing to the customer “whether or not we did anything wrong,” Dick’s Chief People Officer Julie Lodge-Jarrett told HRM Executive Network’s People + Strategy Podcast.
“Step two would be to remove the front-line employee from the situation and do anything possible to please the customer,” she added.
That was not a popular policy with workers, and the company now uses a new script.
“Sir, I can tell you’re unhappy, and I would like to do everything I can to help you get what you came in here for today. But I want to start by saying that at Dick’s Sporting Goods, we don’t tolerate a lack of respect, and we expect that everyone’s treated with the dignity that they deserve. And how you’re treating my teammate is unacceptable. So we’ve got two choices. You can choose to be civil, and if you do, I’d love to help you get what you came here for. Or if you don’t think you can do that, I’d politely ask you to leave.”
That’s a change from apologizing to the customer “whether or not we did anything wrong,” Lodge-Jarrett said, and the move helped improve worker satisfaction.
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Losing workers is expensive
A study conducted by The Josh Bersin Company and UKG showed that while 80% of all jobs are frontline workers, 75% of the people in those positions felt “burned out,” and 51% felt “like a number, not a person.”
That’s an opportunity companies are missing out on because even small improvements have a big impact on the bottom line.
“For example, the report reveals that even a 1% improvement in retention can yield up to 100X savings in cost, training, and performance — a powerful case for investing in a truly frontline-first technology platform that delivers a seamless, positive worker experience,” the data showed.
UKG showed two key ways companies can cut down on frontline worker churn.
- Leading companies recognize the importance of this workforce segment. They offer above-average wages, high degrees of flexibility, safe and productive workplaces, and career development opportunities.
- Invest in frontline management. Top companies prioritize developing new leaders and equipping them with the tools to lead effectively. This includes workforce planning, work scheduling, recruiting, development, engagement, and lots of peer support so managers can learn from one another. They also establish carefully defined management principles that everyone can follow.
Protecting workers from aggressive customers goes a long way toward worker retention, according to HALOS CEO Alan Ring.
“Customer aggression is no longer simply a security issue. It’s affecting whether frontline employees feel safe, supported, and willing to remain in their jobs. Employers need to make incidents easier to report, respond consistently, and give staff clear evidence that their concerns lead to action,” he said.
Walmart, Target, Kroger, TJ Maxx, H&M, and Aldi did not confirm that they use HALOS or any other bodycam technology. None of the chains contributed to this article.
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