A Recap of the NACS Loss Prevention and Safety Symposium

The inaugural NACS Loss Prevention and Safety Symposium, held earlier this week, was an outstanding event. Alongside Walter Palmer, CAP’s COO and EVP, I had the opportunity to connect with key leaders in loss prevention within the convenience store industry. For solution providers like us, participating in these types of events is invaluable. They offer critical insights into the challenges our customers face, enabling us to refine our solutions to better address their needs.

We attended several thought-provoking sessions that highlighted the significant efforts being made to protect people, secure assets, and build safer communities. Total Loss: A Total Company Commitment, led by Mark Stinde, VP of Asset Protection at Casey’s, walked us through the process he developed based on the concept of Total Retail Loss (TRL) . In it, he employs a wide range of mitigation strategies ranging from Learning and Development to Supply Chain Disciplines to Technologies, including leveraging CAP Index crime risk data. His comprehensive framework moves beyond visible issues like theft or damage to address broader factors such as food waste, administrative errors, supplier fraud, and markdowns that collectively affect the bottom line.

In another session, Protecting Against Shimmers, Skimmers, and Fuel Pump Manipulation, Byron Coleman, Manager of Asset Protection and Security for Wawa, looked at technological advancements helping stem fuel pump crimes. Specifically, Byron presented several tactics for safeguarding against loss, including simple yet effective strategies for identifying payment system skimming devices. For instance, a visual inspection combined with a tug-and-pull test of card readers can often reveal tampering. He pointed out that these devices are frequently installed in clusters, such as along the I-95 corridor, where criminals can quickly install and retrieve them. Understanding the criminal mind and anticipating their tactics is critical for staying one step ahead and heading off these kinds of threats. Intelligence like this equips retailers to proactively protect their operations and people.

We left the Loss Prevention and Safety Symposium inspired by the innovative ideas and actionable insights shared by Mark, Byron, and many other industry experts. Events like this help empower us all to create safer, more resilient operations while protecting teams, customers, and businesses. Special thanks to Lori Stillman, VP of Research and Education at NACS for putting on a great event.

We look forward to continuing the conversation and applying these learnings to enhance safety and loss prevention in the convenience store industry.