From TWICE
Retail theft continues to rise, but so does something more concerning to retailers: violence.
According to the National Retail Federation’s 2025 Impact of Retail Theft & Violence Report, nearly half of retailers surveyed reported increases in violence during a crime, including shoplifting, while 73% said shoplifters are exhibiting heightened aggression.
For consumer electronics retailers, where high-value inventory and confrontational theft often intersect, the question is no longer whether incidents are increasing. It’s whether employees have the tools to respond when a potentially dangerous situation arises.
One increasingly visible answer: the “panic button.”
“Panic buttons aren’t just a high-end security feature – they’re becoming a necessary safety baseline,” observes Terry Swanson, president and CEO of Madison, WI-based Singlewire Software, an SaaS company that offers wearable alert badges and incident management systems.