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Tackling Retail Theft in Australia: Insights, Articles and Success Stories

Retail theft is rising—and it’s impacting businesses of every size across Australia. From large chains to local family-run stores, shoplifting and aggressive behaviour are costing retailers millions in lost revenue, damaged inventory, and staff safety concerns.

At Veesion Australia, we believe prevention starts with awareness and innovation. This blog explores the growing challenge of retail crime and showcases how AI-powered solutions are helping retailers respond in real time—reducing shrinkage, protecting staff, and creating safer shopping environments.

Victoria Moves Toward Stronger Protections for Retail Workers

The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) and the National Retail Association have welcomed the Victorian Government’s commitment to introduce tougher penalties for those who assault or abuse retail workers, along with new Workplace Protection Orders aimed at improving frontline safety. This announcement marks an important step forward for the thousands of workers who face growing levels of…
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How Kmart has transformed their business with AWS

Migrating to AWS Managed Services has transformed the way our teams work. We’ve achieved significant cost savings, freed up our application teams from operational processes, and directed our focus towards more strategic initiatives.   Read more: https://d1.awsstatic.com/Kmart_Australia_Infographic.pdf
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Retail Theft Hits 21-Year High: What It Means for Australian Retailers

Australia’s retail sector is facing a theft crisis, with new ABS data revealing 595,660 victims of theft in 2024 — the highest in 21 years and a 6% rise from last year. Almost half of all thefts (45%) occurred in retail stores. ARA CEO Chris Rodwell said the surge reflects what retailers experience daily, describing it as a “full-scale retail crime crisis.” In Victoria alone, thefts spiked by…
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Retailers hit hardest amid rising theft cases

Retail Theft in Australia Hits 21-Year High Retail theft in Australia has reached crisis levels, according to new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)and the Australian Retailers Association (ARA). The report revealed 595,660 theft victims in 2024 — the highest figure in 21 years and a 6% rise from 2023. Nearly half of all theft cases (45%) happened in retail settings, showing…
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$80K Supermarket Theft Ring Busted by NSW Police

NSW Police Bust Alleged $80K Supermarket Theft Ring At dawn in Sydney’s west, NSW Police launched a coordinated raid targeting a group accused of stealing more than $80,000 worth of supermarket goods over three months. The alleged syndicate is said to have hit hundreds of Coles, Woolworths, and Aldi stores, taking items like olive oil, coffee, tuna, energy drinks, and Lego to resell on the…
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Crime in Victoria Hits Decade-High as Bail System Faces Scrutiny

Victoria has recorded a dramatic surge in crime, with recent figures showing the highest number of reported incidents in over ten years. The steep rise comes despite recent legal reforms aimed at keeping repeat offenders behind bars. In the 12 months to June, nearly half a million criminal offences were logged across the state — a jump of more than 18% compared to the previous year. The overall…
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Victoria’s Crime Surge Sparks Doubts Over Bail Reforms

Victoria is grappling with a significant spike in crime, with the latest data showing the state has recorded its highest number of criminal incidents in more than ten years. Despite recent efforts to toughen bail laws, crime continues to rise—raising questions about the effectiveness of the government’s crackdown. In the year leading up to June 30, more than 483,000 criminal incidents were…
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Kmart, Bunnings Hit by Organised Crime as Wesfarmers Calls for Crackdown

Wesfarmers CEO Calls for Action on Retail Crime and Slams Proposed Business Tax Wesfarmers chief executive Rob Scott has raised alarm over a surge in organised retail crime targeting its major brands — Bunnings, Kmart, Officeworks, and Priceline. Speaking on Thursday, Scott said crime syndicates were increasingly stealing high-value items like power tools and tech gadgets, with many ending up on…
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From Store Shelves to National Impact: The $9B Theft Problem Facing Australia

Retail Theft Now a $9 Billion Crisis — And a National Productivity Issue Retailers across Australia are facing an escalating wave of crime, costing the industry an estimated $9 billion annually in stolen goods, damages, and security expenses. Since the pandemic, theft has surged — from organised crime groups and ram raids to violent incidents targeting staff. Major chains are investing in…
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Discover the success story of the AMSTERDAM RETAIL ASSOCIATION (ARA)

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport Duty-Free Stores Save Over €200,000 with AI-Powered Theft Prevention Technology The Airport Retail Association (ARA) at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport has achieved a major milestone in loss prevention, saving over €200,000 in high-end merchandise by deploying cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology developed by…
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Veesion is the AI ‘plugin’ solution for CCTV security systems that automates 
 the detection of suspicious behaviour and theft, and sends immediate alerts, in real time.