VESTAL — Scorpion Security Products, headquartered on Jensen Road in Vestal, says it wants to make sure local retailers are aware of the tools and technologies available to stop shoplifters.

“Alongside rising retail prices and recession fears, shoplifting incidents are also increasing,” the firm said in a recent news release. 

Scorpion says shoplifters have stolen “several hundred to several thousand” dollars’ worth of merchandise from retailers like Walmart, Target, Lowe’s, Weis, Walgreens and CVS stores across the Southern Tier “in recent months.” 

Scorpion Security Products says it specializes in mechanical retail-display security and has working relationships with more than 2,200 retailers across the globe. Scorpion’s products secure everything from smartphones to baby formula, the company noted.

“We’re securing every type of hand-held electronic device out there now in many different retailers. But from demand from some of our customers over the years, we’re now expanding our offering[s] into many different verticals,” Pete Gulick, president and CEO of Scorpion, said in a video on the firm’s website. 

Scorpion’s mission is to eliminate retail theft without “obstructing customers’ shopping experience.” The company designs mechanical retail-display devices to secure electronics, power tools, golf clubs, wine and liquor, baby formula and other merchandise.

“Our patented technology lets sales associates focus on their customers, and customers focus on the products in front of them,” Annie Bensley, company VP, said. “Retailers worldwide trust Scorpion to adapt quickly to not only the latest digital devices hitting the market, but also shoplifters’ latest tactics.”

Scorpion says it’s had to stay at the forefront of developing technology to combat the effects of organized retail crime (ORC), citing recent trends in retail crime. Since 2020, stories of “smash and grabs” and “flash robs” have made headlines as groups of people swiped tools, handbags and smartphones in bulk, the company said.

The firm also cites data from the National Retail Federation that indicates shrink represented $94.5 billion in losses in 2021, up from $90.8 billion the year prior. Shrink is the loss of inventory caused by various factors, such as shoplifting, employee theft, vendor fraud, administrative errors, and operational loss. 

On average, retailers have seen a 26.5 increase in ORC incidents since 2021, with 80 percent reporting an increase in violence and aggression.