Many retailers are not aware that human traffickers help drive organized retail crime (ORC) and fraud. It is essential to grasp the connections between these crimes and be vigilant and proactive in countering traffickers' exploitative tactics in the retail industry.
As a retail professional, safeguarding your company’s staff and assets from organized retail crime and fraud is crucial. The National Retail Federation reports that “criminal activities we witness in stores across the nation and the incidents of violence tied to them are on the rise”. In 2024, nearly half of U.S. retail staff reported calling police or other public safety personnel to stores monthly, and over a quarter said they considered resigning due to safety concerns at work.
Some traffickers force victims to commit retail crimes, like shoplifting items or purchasing gift cards for them --which can then be used to fund trafficking operations without a paper trail. Shoplifted goods that are resold and gift cards exchanged for cash on third-party resale sites enable traffickers to launder money and profit from their victims in addition to forcing them into commercial sex or other types of labor. Since "theft mules” are often victims of human trafficking, retailers can help prevent ORC by training their employees to identify indicators of human trafficking and respond promptly.
BEST (Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking) recognizes how complicated and dynamic this crime is, and that it can be challenging for retail businesses to know how to start addressing it. BEST equips retail leaders with essential knowledge and guidance to develop a workable strategy to counter human trafficking that addresses:
BEST leverages our consulting expertise to support businesses in both developing and implementing their strategies.
Free 30-minute consultation: BEST offers every business a free 30-minute consultation with a member of BEST's staff. During this meeting, you can learn more about BEST's expertise and receive real-time feedback on how you can start engaging in actively protecting your retail business by countering human trafficking.
Highly relational: BEST recognizes that it may be difficult for many businesses to join the fight against human trafficking because it can be a daunting issue to address. BEST listens and empowers you and your team with the tools needed to counter human trafficking within the retail industiry, and by ensuring you are not alone in this fight.
Meaningful: Unfortunately, human trafficking affects everyone, and it creates risks for retail stores along with other types of businesses. By countering human trafficking proactively, you will have a postive impact not only on your business and the safety of your staff, but also on the broader community that your business operates in and around.
Practical: BEST provides you with actual tools that you can use and implement across your organization. From training to communication materials, we help you have tangible results.
To learn more about BEST and how to effectively implement an anti-human trafficking strategy for your business, please enter your contact information below. We'll answer any quetsions you may have.
Through consultation with BEST, employers craft workable plans to counter human trafficking proactively and create safe retail environments. BEST can help your retail business develop a comprehensive strategy in which training is an effective component, so that you can further contribute to the larger movement to eradicate human trafficking and support the victims of this horrible crime.
In addition to our stratgey consulting and employee-addressed training, BEST offers a variety of resources and support services to help businesses combat human trafficking. These include policy development assistance, awareness campaigns, and access to a network of experts and organizations dedicated to ending human trafficking. Visit bestalliance.org to explore these resources and learn how you can get involved.
“We highly recommend BEST for custom workplace training. They are truly experts in the realm of human trafficking prevention. (...) [N]ot just how to spot a potential trafficking situation—but how businesses can put that learning into action to assist people in need.”
Lanie Clark, Client Executive with Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter
Don’t wait until it’s too late. Equip your team with the knowledge and skills they need to combat organized retail crime, prevent human trafficking, and protect your business. Contact us today to schedule a free 30-minute consultation.