There are many methods of organized retail crime-from the more subtle method of befriending cashiers to get information, fraudulent returns or pickups, and The Shopping List to the sometimes violent and destructive flash mobs, sweeps, or smash-and-grabs. ORC groups often target specific, highly desired merchandise known to be easily resold, such as baby clothes, electronics, cosmetics, health and beauty products, and high-end fashion merchandise.
The current luxury handbag market in the US is estimated to be worth about $13 billion and is projected to grow to $20 billion by 2030. As an accessory item, luxury handbags can be one of the most expensive items that women accessorize with, after jewelry. Major fashion houses like Dior, Gucci, Hermes, Valentino, Chloe, Louis Vuitton, and others sell luxury handbags for prices ranging from hundreds to millions of dollars.
We’ve all seen flash mobs stealing luxury handbags online, on TV, or in person. It starts with several bodies moving in tandem. Maybe they are already positioned in the fashion retail store ready to move, sometimes they rush into stores like a scene from a heist movie. They’re part of a calculated operation. This is organized retail crime in 2025.
In a matter of seconds, designer shoes, handbags, and clothing are swept into arms and bags. Then, just as quickly, this mob scatters and disappears, leaving empty racks and shelves behind—in and out in just under two minutes. The thieves have found that stealing luxury handbags and clothing is more lucrative than robbing a bank.
Thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars of merchandise is lost in a matter of seconds. Employees are in shock, shaken by the sudden turmoil and how fast this coordinated attack happened. And what happens to the merchandise? It is already on its way to the online and black market pipelines before store managers can even fill out the forms and file a report.
However, the retail industry isn’t just standing by and watching it happen. They are fighting back on multiple fronts through a combination of technology, partnerships with law enforcement, and proactive security measures, including tethering the products to the fixtures.
Innovation Born from Urgency
CIS Security Solutions creates solutions that help our clients protect their valuable assets. We offer products that are economical, sustainable, and quick to achieve return on investment while securing valuable merchandise at the Zone 1 level, at the fixture. We have become a leader in innovation, and the evolution of our products has been saving our clients millions of dollars per year, while preventing loss of assets and increasing sales.
Many years ago, our clients told us they were having problems with luxury handbag thefts. They were running cables through the handles of multiple handbags to secure them, but thieves were cutting the cables and taking all the handbags at one time. Sometimes they were unnoticed because no one was around to see them until they escaped through a fire exit or pushed a full cart out of the door, setting off the alarms. By then it was too late to catch them as they drove off in the vehicle waiting for them near the exit.
We had ideas for products years ago, but technology had to catch up first. By 2022, development was underway on the Gen6 SP (Smart Padlock), a new generation tether that connects to a smart padlock tag via a sleek plug-in system, creating a multi-alarmed circuit from tether to padlock tag. It had to be intuitive, secure, and built for speed. Early models showed promise in lab tests, but the true trial came in multi-store pilot programs. Results from the pilot tests were analyzed and we made some changes, with the valuable input from our clients.
No Pins. No False Alarms. No Nonsense.
In 2023, the Slide Padlock Tag was born. With a smooth locking slot, the Gen6 SP tether slides and secures in place right into the Smart Padlock Tag—simple for staff, impossible for thieves. It features dual-frequency EAS technology and an IR detacher safeguard, so any unauthorized attempt to remove the tag or tether sets off a piercing alarm.
And best of all? Associates can now remove or transfer merchandise with ease using an all-in-one decoder. One press deactivates the alarm and releases the Slide Tag from the tether; plug into a new Slide Tag and the alarm is instantly reactivated. Customers still get to feel, try on, and interact with the merchandise while the item remains fully protected and secure. Security no longer comes at the cost of customer experience.
Securing the Rack: Meet “The Boot”
But locking down individual items was just the beginning. What about when multiple high-value items are displayed on shared fixtures like 4-way racks and H-racks?
Enter The Boot. The Boot is a rugged security solution built to secure up to 10 Gen6 SP recoiling tethers directly to a store fixture. The first prototype looked like something from a dystopian workshop: metal plates, bulky screws, and a vibe somewhere between Mad Max and Steam Punk. It worked—one store saw a return on investment within 24 hours of installing it.
Engineers then refined the design into a clean, solid unit that fits seamlessly around fixture legs, using just two security screws and top-and-bottom swivel locks. The latest version installs in minutes and has now been deployed across 2,000-plus retail locations in the US and Canada with more rolling out every month.
A Safer, Smarter Shopping Experience
High-volume theft, once considered an inevitable loss, is no longer untouchable. Retailers are pushing back with innovation that works behind the scenes—making stores safer, smarter, and ready for whatever the next wave of organized retail crime throws at them.
The takeaway? High fashion may still be vulnerable to theft trends, but thanks to evolving retail security tech like The Boot with Gen6 SP Slide, luxury handbags and clothing are no longer vulnerable to ORC mobs, yet they ARE accessible to customers.
What’s Next?
The proof of concept is there. The ROI is there. Loss percentages are falling while sales are rising as our products protect the merchandise. As our retailers’ needs arise, we can adapt and create solutions to protect their merchandise. As the needs of our clients evolve, so will we and so will our products.
What are your needs? What are your wants? Let’s have a chat and find the right solution for you. Call 772-287-7999 or email info@cisssinc.com.
