What's New
Shoplifting has increased in the U.S. by 93 percent over four years, according to a report.
The Impact of Retail Theft & Violence study, which was conducted by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and the Loss Prevention Research Council, and sponsored by Sensormatic Solutions, found that the figure rose dramatically between 2019 and 2023.
The study also found that 91 percent of those who participated in the survey noted a rise in violence from shoplifters over this period.
Why It Matters
The report noted that the rise in shoplifting occurred over a time period where inflation was the highest it has been in the past 20 years. Economic hardships have been tied to an increase in shoplifting.
In 2021, 2022 and 2023, average inflation rates were at 4.7 percent, 8 percent and 4.1 percent respectively.
What To Know
Barbara C. Staib, director of communications at the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention (NASP), told Newsweek that "Anything that makes people feel threatened or insecure in their ability to take care of their families, themselves, their homes, etc. will impact shoplifting. We saw it in the 2008-2009 housing and banking economic crisis.
"When people fear loss of income or financial security of any kind, real or imagined, they are susceptible to behavior they would not normally be a party to."
In one example of a violent theft during the four years, a 77-year-old woman was shoved to the ground and knocked unconscious by a suspected shoplifter in September 2022, at a New York City Barnes and Noble. The man was running away from security guards, per authorities, when he pushed the woman.
In part due to concerns around a rise in shoplifting and other crimes, Californians voted on November 5 for Proposition 36, a law that increases penalties for repeated shoplifting, classifying it as a felony.
This "tough on crime" proposition, which also created harsher sentences for drug use, was supported by Californians who saw this bill as a vote for safer communities.
It was opposed by social justice advocates who believed the proposition would impact low-income individuals more than it would effectively catch organized crime ringleaders.
What People Are Saying
Ernesto Lopez, senior research specialist for the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) told Newsweek: "It's important to understand the nature of the report released by the National Retail Federation. This publication is a survey of senior loss prevention and security executives in the retail industry, so the findings are not based on incidents reported to law enforcement.
"The Council on Criminal Justice looked at shoplifting in a sample of 23 large U.S. cities and found that by the end of 2023, the shoplifting rate was 10% lower than in 2019. This finding is based on incident data reported to police, and obviously it stands in sharp contrast to the numbers in the retailers' survey."
However, Lopez noted that there was still a rise in shoplifting in 2024 according to the CCJ's calculations. Per the CCJ, the first half of the year saw a 24 percent higher on average rate of shoplifting than the same time period in 2023.
He added: "It's hard to tell how much of the shoplifting increase is due to more crime and how much reflects greater levels of reporting to law enforcement."
"Likewise, as retailers have focused on retail theft, and have implemented additional security measures, they may be improving their ability to detect theft, thereby leading to a possible increase in rates."
"When violent, brazen "smash-and-grab" incidents occur and capture headlines, it influences public perceptions and suggests that such episodes are common. That's not the case, but no level of violence is acceptable, and business owners, law enforcement, and local leaders should continue to work together to ensure the safety of their employees and the community."
Staib: "We have to recognize that even with anomalies and events like COVID, the current situation was a long time coming. COVID just opened Pandora's box; this did not happen overnight. Moreover, it will take just as much or more time to reverse it. But we have to start somewhere; we have to start the long process of retraining citizens and society, especially those prone to anti-social acts and petty crime, that they can and will be held accountable."
What Happens Next
The NRF has championed the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, introduced to Congress in 2023.
Staib said: "NASP supports all efforts to reinstitute real accountability for all theft but particularly for ORC [organized retail crime] and the gangs and nefarious groups perpetuating this insidious and often violent kind of theft. Moreover, NASP applauds NRF's act as well as all efforts to enhance coordination between federal, state and local law enforcement."
However, Lopez said the bill "would likely have a small effect."
"In 2022, the federal prison population accounted for about 13% of all people in prison in the U.S. Currently, about 9% of the entire federal prison population is incarcerated for a property offense," he added.
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