Interface Systems has unveiled its 2026 Retail Loss Prevention Benchmark Report, examining data from 1.6 million remote monitoring events at 18,258 retail locations across 51 brands in the US throughout 2025.
The report serves as a valuable resource for retail loss prevention teams, offering insights into when risks are heightened, the fastest-escalating threats, and the efficacy of various intervention strategies at numerous monitored sites.
Loss prevention teams under pressure
"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," stated Brent Duncan, CEO of Interface Systems. The report identifies top-tier threats such as theft, disturbances, loitering, and panhandling, while also tracking criminal activities, assault, property damage, robbery, and emergency medical situations.
The study reveals predictable patterns in retail risks, noting a 363% surge in incidents at store opening times
The study reveals predictable patterns in retail risks, noting a 363% surge in incidents at store opening times, with peak incidents occurring from 6 to 8 PM. Incident volume is especially high on Sundays and Mondays, accounting for 30% of weekly incidents, with Thursdays marking the most frequent day for police dispatches.
Role of interactive remote video monitoring
Interactive remote video monitoring plays a significant role in managing high-priority security events, with 62.4% resolved without police dispatch. Voice-down interventions, where specialists communicate via on-site speakers, successfully resolved 99.7% of employee assistance requests without needing law enforcement involvement.
The report also highlights the effectiveness of video verification in eliminating false alarms, identifying 95% of alarm events as false and resolving them without dispatch. Employee requests for assistance peak during store openings and closings, not during peak shopping hours, with significant activity noted at 10 AM and 7 PM.
Loitering and disturbance trends
The comprehensive report is now accessible on Interface Systems’ website and includes segment analyses
Loitering and disturbances emerge as issues with higher rates of police dispatch, peaking each day between 6 and 8 PM, the same period that sees a spike in overall incident volume. Interestingly, pre-holiday days are riskier, recording an average of 148 incidents, compared to 138 on the holidays themselves, marking a 5.5% decrease.
The report details data from Interface's Virtual Perimeter Guard, which employs AI and expert monitoring from its Interactive Security Operations Centers. Across 29 locations, the system was activated 23,810 times, autonomously resolving 96.1% of threats with a staged voice-down protocol, and escalating only 4% to a live intervention specialist, resulting in a single police dispatch.
The comprehensive report is now accessible on Interface Systems’ website and includes segment analyses, detailed charts, and practical recommendations for loss prevention professionals. Additionally, leaders can request a complimentary security assessment to evaluate their incident responses and identify opportunities for enhancing security through interactive monitoring and AI-driven deterrence.
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 jewellery 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.
