Violence, Organized Theft and the Future of Retail Security with Rui Rodrigues, Loss Prevention Expert and RCC Advisor
Retail crime in Canada has reached a critical point. In this episode of The Voice of Retail podcast, host Michael LeBlanc welcomes back Rui Rodrigues, a veteran loss prevention leader and advisor working with the Retail Council of Canada, to unpack the rapidly escalating challenges facing retailers across the country.
Rodrigues brings more than 30 years of experience in retail security and loss prevention, having worked with major retailers including Staples, Best Buy, Holt Renfrew and Hudson’s Bay before launching his consulting practice. Today he works with retailers across Canada helping them address organized retail crime, risk management, and store safety while also collaborating closely with law enforcement and government partners.
The conversation begins with a big picture look at how retail crime has evolved since the early days of the pandemic. Rodrigues explains that theft is not new, but the scale, organization, and violence associated with retail crime has increased significantly. Opportunistic shoplifting remains common, but retailers are increasingly dealing with organized criminal networks that exploit weak legal consequences and sophisticated resale channels.
One major driver has been the growth of online marketplaces and social media resale channels, which allow stolen goods to be redistributed quickly and anonymously. Criminal enterprises can now move merchandise without the traditional risk of transporting large volumes across borders.
Even more concerning is the growing level of violence and weaponization in retail theft incidents, with security teams reporting machetes, firearms, and bear spray being used to intimidate employees and prevent intervention. Retailers have responded by shifting away from physical apprehension policies in many cases, prioritizing employee safety over recovering merchandise.
But Rodrigues also shares reasons for optimism. Over the past three years, the Retail Council of Canada has built a national retail crime task force, bringing together more than 30 police services along with retailers and prosecutors to coordinate intelligence and enforcement actions. Initiatives such as Project Retail Blitz focus targeted operations on repeat offenders and organized retail crime groups.
The discussion also explores the growing political recognition of the issue. Retail leaders have recently met with federal and provincial governments to push for stronger legislation, including reforms aimed at organized retail theft and repeat offenders. According to Rodrigues, the goal is not only stronger laws but consistent enforcement and a structural approach to retail crime across police and prosecution services.
The episode concludes with a preview of the upcoming Retail Secure Conference, where industry leaders, law enforcement, and policymakers will gather to share best practices and strategies for tackling retail crime and improving community safety.
Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.
Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.
Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.
Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.
Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.
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