Using blockchain technology to combat retail theft

The retail business is likely one of the most essential sectors of the US economic system. Sadly, the COVID-19 pandemic has left the trillion-dollar retail sector susceptible to in-store theft. 

Findings from the Nationwide Retail Federation’s 2022 Retail Safety Survey show that retail losses from stolen items elevated to $94.5 billion in 2021, up from $90.8 billion in 2020. Some retailers additionally must lock away sure merchandise to stop theft, which can result in decreased gross sales as a result of customers’ incapacity to entry items.

Retailers look towards blockchain to resolve retail theft

Given these excessive measures, many revolutionary retailers have began wanting towards know-how to fight retail theft. For instance, Lowe’s, an American residence enchancment retailer, has lately carried out a proof-of-concept known as Venture Unlock, which makes use of radio frequency identification (RFID) chips, Web of Issues sensors and blockchain know-how. The answer is at present being examined in a number of Lowe’s shops in the US.

Josh Shabtai, senior director of ecosystem observe at Lowe’s Innovation Labs — Lowe’s tech wing that developed Venture Unlock — instructed Cointelegraph that Venture Unlock goals to discover rising know-how to assist curb theft whereas creating higher buyer experiences.

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To perform this, Shabtai defined that RFID chips are used to activate particular Lowes’ energy instruments on the level of buy. “So if a buyer steals an influence device, it received’t work,” he stated.

Shabtai famous that RFID chips are a low-cost resolution that many retailers use to stop theft. In keeping with the Nationwide Retail Federation’s 2022 Retail Safety Survey, 38.6% of outlets already implement or plan to implement RFID programs. Nonetheless, Shabtai defined that combining RFID programs with a blockchain community can present retailers with a clear, tamper-proof report to trace in-store purchases. He stated:

“By Venture Unlock, a singular ID is registered and assigned to every of our energy instruments. When that product is bought, the RFID system prompts the facility device to be used. On the similar time, the transaction will be seen by anybody, since that info will get recorded to a public blockchain community.”

Mehdi Sarkeshi, lead mission supervisor at Venture Unlock, instructed Cointelegraph that Venture Unlock relies on the Ethereum community. Sarkeshi elaborated that every product below Venture Unlock is tied to a pre-minted nonfungible token (NFT), or a digital twin, that can obtain a standing change upon buy.

“A product’s NFT undergoes a standing change when it’s both bought by Lowe’s, if it has been stolen, or if the standing is unknown. All of this info is publicly seen to clients and resellers because it’s recorded on the Ethereum blockchain. We now have primarily constructed a purchase order authenticity provenance for Lowes’ energy instruments,” he stated.

Whereas the idea behind Venture Unlock is revolutionary for a big retailer, David Menard, CEO of asset verification platform Actual Objects, instructed Cointelegraph that his agency has been exploring an identical resolution. “Historically, RFID tags stop theft, so this downside has already been solved,” he stated. Given this, Menard famous that Actual Objects combines digital identification with bodily merchandise to make sure that stolen gadgets will be accounted for. He stated:

“If bodily gadgets are paired with digital twins, then retailers can know precisely what was stolen, from the place and from which product batch. Retailers can perceive this with extra readability versus info generated by RFID programs.”

In keeping with Menard, Actual Objects at present has a memorandum of understanding with SmartLabel, a digital platform that generates QR codes for manufacturers and retailers to supply customers with detailed product info. He shared that Actual Objects plans to implement “digital product passports” with SmartLabel merchandise sooner or later. “We view digital product passports as the muse for storing details about a product all through a product’s life cycle,” he stated.

Menard additional defined that Actual Objects makes use of the Polygon community to retailer product info. It’s essential to level out that this mannequin differs from Venture Unlock since a blockchain community is just used right here to report details about a sure merchandise. “We use a product’s digital twin — also referred to as its NFT — for engagement. It may be tied to anti-theft, nevertheless it’s extra about offering retailers with helpful knowledge.”

Whereas the options being developed by Lowe’s Innovation Labs and Actual Objects might be a game-changer for retailers, the rise of the metaverse may assist curb retail theft. In keeping with McKinsey’s “Worth Creation within the Metaverse” report, by 2030, the metaverse might generate $4 trillion to $5 trillion throughout shopper and enterprise use instances. The report notes that this consists of the retail sector.

Marjorie Hernandez, managing director of LUKSO — a digital life-style Web3 platform — instructed Cointelegraph that designer manufacturers like Prada and Web3 marketplaces like The Dematerialised, the place she can be CEO, are already utilizing NFT redemption processes.

Hernandez defined that this enables communities to buy a digital good in a metaverse-like surroundings, which might then be redeemed for a bodily merchandise in retailer. She stated:

“This redemption course of permits retailers to discover new methods to authenticate merchandise on-chain and supply a extra sustainable manufacturing course of with made-to-order demand. This additionally creates a brand new and direct entry channel between creators and customers past level of sale.”

Hernandez believes that extra retailers will discover digital identities for life-style items within the coming 12 months. “This enables manufacturers, designers and customers to lastly have a clear resolution for lots of the issues going through the retail business at this time, like counterfeit items and theft.”

Will retailers undertake blockchain options to fight theft?

Though blockchain might assist remedy in-store theft shifting ahead, retailers could also be hesitant to undertake the know-how for a number of causes. For example, blockchain’s affiliation with cryptocurrency could also be a ache level for enterprises. Latest occasions just like the collapse of FTX reinforce this. 

But, Shabtai stays optimistic, noting that Lowe’s Innovation Labs believes that it’s essential to think about new applied sciences to higher perceive what’s viable. “By Venture Unlock, now we have confirmed that blockchain know-how is effective. We hope this could function a proof level for different retailers contemplating an identical resolution,” he remarked. Shabtai added that Lowe’s Innovation Labs plans to evolve its resolution past energy instruments shifting ahead.

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Whereas notable, Sarkeshi identified that it could be difficult for customers to grasp the worth of utilizing blockchain to report transactions. “For example, if I’m a buyer shopping for a second-hand product, why ought to I care if it was stolen,” he stated. Given this, Sarkeshi believes {that a} shift in buyer mindset should happen for such an answer to be solely profitable. He stated:

“It’s a tradition constructing problem. Some clients will initially not be ok with shopping for a stolen product, however we want this to resonate throughout the board. We wish clients to know that when a product is stolen, everybody throughout the availability chain will get harm. Constructing that tradition could also be difficult, however I imagine it will occur in the long run.”