How retailers in Australia and New Zealand are leading the movement against retail crime

New Zealand and Australian retailers were the first to adopt Retail Crime Intelligence and join the Auror Network. Today, they continue to lead the way.

At Auror Connect Aotearoa and Auror Connect Australia 2026, retailers, law enforcement, and industry partners came together around one theme: Leading the Movement. Speakers and attendees shared what’s possible with collaboration, connected intelligence, and a focus on people. 

From record levels of dot connections, to strong police collaboration, and to responsible risk detection technology, here is why New Zealand and Australian retailers are leading by example. 

Leading the movement in dot connections

Every dot connection made on Auror helps retailers see their top repeat offenders and the full scale of their impact. When they can identify the people causing the most harm, they can make more informed decisions about store and team safety.

At Auror Connect Aotearoa, we shared that total dot connections made by New Zealand retailers has tripled since 2020. New Zealand retailers are connecting more dots per active store than any other country Auror operates in.

In Australia, retailers made 43.6% more dot connections in the first half of 2026. Total dot connections in Australia have increased 19X in five years.

For both countries, we know that the top 10% of offenders are responsible for 60% of retail crime.

Two community outcomes from 2026 exemplified the power of connecting the dots on repeat offenders:

• Auckland: Consistent reporting by Woolworths New Zealand teams helped a police intelligence officer connect 29 events and over NZ$25K in stolen value, leading to the arrest of a violent, prolific offender.
• Melbourne: Five store teams made 748 reports, connecting A$161K in stolen value and leading police to a receiver. A search warrant on a kebab shop recovered $42K in stolen items.

When the few people behind most stolen value become visible, retailers can prioritise their efforts and act with confidence. Retailers across New Zealand and Australia are setting the pace and proving that every dot connected brings us closer to safer stores.

How the ANZ network leads in collaboration

Collaboration between retailers and police in Australia and New Zealand has been brilliant, and this was highlighted at our Auror Connect events. 

For Nathan Breed, Group Loss Prevention Manager at Briscoe Group, it has meant a complete shift in mindset. Retailers once competed to drive offenders away from their own stores, keeping intelligence in-house, now it’s all about partnerships and collaboration.

“We’ve moved away from that competitive nature. We’re actually more willing to collaborate,” he said.

That spirit is just as strong across the Tasman, with the General Manager of Group Security Investigations at a leading Australian retailer describing those in the Auror Network as being “single-focused on achieving the right results for everybody”. 

“The fact we all can come together and actually share those common issues, and then be more proactive together can only benefit Australia.”

A united front between retailers and police

It’s not just connecting and working with each other, but retailers across the region are making the most of police collaboration.  

bp ANZ Country Security Manager Emily Milner said working with police has become much easier in a practical sense.

“Working with the police has become a lot easier with regards to CCTV footage…the police can directly download the footage, rather than having to coordinate with our team members to get that footage handed over physically.”

At Auror Connect Australia, retailers heard from senior Australian police leaders about dedicated operations across the country, which have led to AU$10M crime busts, black market resale schemes being dismantled and violent organised crime groups foiled. These operations were all supported by retailer reporting in Auror.

Leading the movement in keeping people safe

Behind every incident report and dot connection is the safety of every single retail team member and customer. 

In Australia, over 25% of all repeat offenders show violent behaviour, with 94% of offenders with 50+ recorded incidents displaying violent behaviour. In New Zealand, repeat offenders are 5X more likely to use weapons and/or show physical abuse when offending. 

For bp, keeping people safe goes to the heart of the job.

“For me, being in security, it's really about keeping our team safe, making sure they get home, making sure that the tools…that look after our team are kept to a good standard, so that anyone who comes into work can go home exactly the same way they came in,” Emily Milner said.

Briscoe Group’s Nathan Breed said the safety of retail teams is a non-negotiable priority.

“We don't want our team belittled, we don't want them assaulted. We don't want them to feel devalued. Whatever the case might be…we've got to prevent that at all cost.”

Setting the pace: the results ANZ retailers are delivering

According to Nathan, Briscoe Group has achieved a 25 to 35% month-on-month reduction in retail crime in 2026, compared with the previous year. This was due to a combination of using Auror, working closer with police, and implementing Risk Detection technology. 

In one case, there was a Briscoe Group store that went from seeing 70 to 80 retail crime events a month to just 20, thanks to increased use of Auror, and better police collaboration.

At The Warehouse Group, Mike shared that in 2026 they have seen a 14% reduction in violent and aggressive behaviour as a result of partnering with Auror on the mission of reducing violent retail crime by 50% in five years. 

The Warehouse Group utilises Vehicle Recognition in 43 stores across New Zealand and saw a NZ$10K reduction in loss per month during the initial pilot period. 

These results move the Auror Network towards our shared 50 in 5 mission, and form a strong foundation to build on into the future.