After repeated mass robberies in America, organized thefts are becoming a source of concern for retailers

Heavy police presence in Union Square in San Francisco after a series of store robberies.

A growing number of US retailers are expressing growing concerns about theft this year. Best Buy said this week that its business is facing new pressures from organized crime and theft, and that it is implementing new security measures in some areas.

One of the tactics with which it is facing this phenomenon, Best Buy adds QR codes to its products after they are secured. This allows customers to scan these codes before purchasing them, so salespeople do not need to unlock the lock immediately.

"We're trying to find ways we can secure the product, but make the purchase a good customer experience," CEO Corey Barry said on a Best Buy earnings call last week. "In some cases, we assign security personnel. We work with our vendors to find innovative ways in which we can display the product as well," she added.

This month, a group of about 80 people rushed to the Nordstrom store in Ballknot Creek, California, on the San Francisco border, and stole merchandise, many of whom fled in speeding cars.

However, Barry said this pressure was evident in the company's financial statements, describing it as one reason Best Buy saw its profit margin rate drop, and it was a "painful experience for our sales staff".

About 69% of retailers said they saw an increase in organized crime against retail stores last year, citing factors such as the pandemic, police action, changes in sentencing guidelines and the growth of online markets, according to a recent retail security survey from the National Retail Federation. , which is an industrial trading group. Respondents to the survey said that the groups behind the robberies had become more aggressive and violent.

Best Buy CEO Corey Barry: This is a real case that hurts and scares real people

This month, a group of about 80 people rushed to the Nordstrom store in Walnut Creek, California, on the San Francisco border, and stole merchandise, many of whom fled in speeding cars. There were also burglaries of other San Francisco retailers around the same time, including Louis Vuitton, Saint Laurent and Burberry ( Burberry), according to The San Francisco Chronicle.

"Our priority has always been and always will be the safety of our employees, whether it's during a pandemic, with unruly customers, or when there's outright theft, which has become a big part of what we're seeing now," the CEO of Best Buy said. "This is a real issue that hurts and frightens real people," she added