Retail Theft Statistics (23 Fun Facts, Trends + Statistics)
Retail theft is a huge problem for most retail stores, especially with the invention of the U-scan, but do you know how serious retail theft is? Are you looking for some retail theft facts?
I’ve been researching this topic and found a lot of useful and interesting information that I want to share with you, so keep reading to learn about it!
2022 Retail Theft Statistics
- Organised retail crime costs retailers $30 billion a year
- Atlanta, Baltimore, Washington, Chicago and Dallas are cities with the highest retail crime rates
- 25% of retail thefts are by children, compared to 75% by adults
- Winter is the biggest retail theft season
- Retail theft reduced by 34% at retailers using facial recognition software
- 60% of pickpockets enter 2 different locations in the same retail chain
- 47% of high school students admit to shoplifting in the past year
- Inventory reduction costs retail industry about $46.8 billion
- 36.5% of inventory drawdowns are organized crime and shoplifting
- $559 is the average retail theft loss
Do you have other questions or would like to see a full list of retail theft statistics? If so, read on as I have more info to share with you!
1. Organized retail crime costs retailers $30 billion annually
Organised retail crime is becoming a big problem, costing retailers an estimated $30 billion annually, with 71% of retailers seeing an increase in this type of retail theft.
Additionally, organized retail crime has attacked at least 91% of the companies surveyed in the past year.
2. Atlanta, Baltimore, Washington, Chicago and Dallas have the highest retail crime rates
An interesting retail theft statistic is that Atlanta, Baltimore, Washington, Chicago, and Dallas are the five most common cities in the United States for shoplifting.
Additionally, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and Phoenix are among the top 10 cities with the most retail theft.
3. 25% of retail thefts are children, 75% are adults
Most retail thefts are committed by adults, 75% of shoplifters are over the age of 18, and only 25% of these shoplifters are teenagers.
4. Winter is the biggest season for retail theft
An interesting trend in retail theft is that winter is the biggest season for theft, with 81% of retail thefts during this season occurring around the holidays.
5. Facial recognition cuts retail theft by 34%
Retail thefts at retailers using facial recognition software decreased by 34%, suggesting that investing in facial recognition software will benefit retail stores in the long term.
Therefore, if more retailers invest in facial recognition, it could lead to a significant reduction in retail theft.
6. 60% of pickpockets visited 2 locations of the same retailer
A strange retail theft fact is that 60% of all shoplifters have visited two locations of the same retailer, which means they are looking for which location is easier to steal from.
7. 47% of high school students admit to shoplifting in the past 12 months
A shocking retail theft fact is that 47% of high school students admit to shoplifting in the past 12 months, a trend everyone wishes not to continue!
8. Inventory reduction costs retail industry $46.8 billion annually
Shrinking inventory is a huge problem, costing the retail industry an estimated $46.8 billion a year.
9. The most common reasons for inventory decline are organized retail crime and shoplifting
Organized retail crime and shoplifting are the main causes of inventory shrinking, two huge problems facing the United States right now.
10. The average retail theft cost is $559
While the average retail theft value was low, the average loss was $559, or about four times the value of the stolen item.
11. 55% of adult thieves start as teenagers
About 55% of shoplifters start stealing as teenagers, demonstrating the importance of intervening when teens start stealing, so the behavior doesn’t persist into adulthood.
12. Shoplifting peaks Wednesday through Saturday
A really interesting trend in retail theft is that Wednesday to Saturday is the peak period when retail theft can occur.
However, I’m not sure why these special days are worse for retail theft, or if this trend will continue or change.
13. Only 2.9% of retail theft losses are recovered
A sad retail theft statistic is that only 2.9% of retail theft losses are recovered, according to Jack L. Hayes International.
Additionally, retail theft lost $33.15 for every $1 recovered, a dire situation for retailers.
14. Aggression is more common during retail theft
A dire trend in shoplifting is that retailers are seeing aggressive behavior more frequently, and violence is becoming more common in retail theft.
For example, 31% of retailers said violators in 2020 were more aggressive than they saw in 2019, while 26% said they were more aggressive.
However, 41% said the level of attacks in 2020 was the same as in 2019, but only 2% said attackers were less aggressive.
15. Daily losses in retail stores equal to $47 million
Every day, retail stores suffer $47 million in losses to retail theft, and I hope this number doesn’t increase, but it’s worrying to say the least.
16. 1 in 100 shoplifters arrested
Only one in 100 shoplifters is arrested, and one survey found that about 48 percent of shoplifters are repeat offenders, showing how lax the justice system has become when it comes to retail theft.
Furthermore, since 48% of those surveyed were repeat offenders, we can assume that they moved on because they weren’t caught and therefore were not afraid of the consequences.
17. Over $15 billion worth of goods are stolen every year
About $15 billion worth of items are shoplifted each year, a staggering figure that shows how common retail theft has become over the years!
18. The average value of retail theft is $125
While thefts are on the rise, the average value of the thefts that occur is about $125, making retail theft a misdemeanor in most parts of the country.
Also, because the value of the theft is so low, it can take a long time for the police to respond to a crime, and they may not even investigate because it’s not worth their time.
19. Shoplifting costs US taxpayers $33.21 billion annually
American taxpayers are paying for shoplifting, costing taxpayers $33.1 billion annually, or about $75,000 in lost revenue every minute.
20. Retail theft increases as legal system becomes looser
Retail theft is on the rise as America’s legal system becomes more permissive, and the trend is likely to continue as the justice system lets thieves out of jail or doesn’t punish them at all.
Also, because shoplifting is generally a misdemeanor, the penalties for the crime are not many, and more than 35 states have opted to increase the value of theft required for a felony.
As such, retail theft typically has high rewards and low risks associated with it, which is becoming increasingly apparent as people are not often punished for crimes.
21. Over 27 million known pickpockets
Did you know there are over 27 million known pickpockets, but only 3% of this group are professional pickpockets?
So you can assume that a professional pickpocket steals high-value items, while a regular pickpocket steals less valuable items like shirts or glasses.
22. Most people choose to steal after they enter the store
One fact about retail theft is that, in most cases, it’s not a very premeditated act, as more than 72% of children and 73% of adults say the decision to steal is made in a store.
However, this could still be considered legitimate premeditation, since the decision was shoplifting, since premeditating doesn’t require much forethought.
23. About 5% of pickpockets are kleptomaniacs
An interesting retail theft statistic, according to the American Psychiatric Association, is that only 5% of shoplifters are considered kleptomaniacs.
So you can assume that most people who engage in retail theft know what they’re doing, and it’s an impulsive decision, not a mental illness.
Is retail theft on the rise?
Retail theft is on the rise, for example in New York City, where retail theft increased 16% between 2019 and 2021.
Additionally, retail theft has increased by 300% since 2020, especially at CVS, indicating the prevalence of theft among pharmacy chains.
What are the most shoplifted items?
Designer clothing is becoming a popular item to steal from organized retail criminal gangs and common retail thefts.
Also, in states like California, retail theft often occurs at high-end retailers, and this trend is likely to continue as California becomes more moderate in terms of theft crimes.
Why don’t stores stop shoplifting?
Most of the time, employees are not allowed to prevent shoplifting because store policy prohibits someone from intervening when a theft occurs.
In addition, most employees were told to let pickpockets take what they wanted and then reported it to the police, and employees who intervened in the past were fired.
Why is shoplifting so easy?
Shoplifting has become easier as more states relax larceny, and most thefts are misdemeanors that often aren’t even investigated or prosecuted.
But if someone steals an iPhone, the value of the phone drives the crime into a felony in many states, so if you keep the value under $500 or $950, it’s easy to shoplift.
Also, since most stores don’t stop shoplifters, it’s getting easier to steal and get away with only 100 arrests.
What are the two types of pickpockets?
There are two types of pickpockets: professional or booster or whistleblower, and amateur pickpockets.
For example, whistleblowers steal items for personal use or for use by members of their family.
In contrast, boosters or pros steal from retail stores to resell items and make money, so they often steal more items or higher-value items with better resale opportunities.
in conclusion
There are a lot of interesting retail theft statistics, including that 75% of shoplifters are adults and 25% are teenagers, but 55% of shoplifting starts with teenagers.
Also, only 5% of shoplifters are considered kleptomaniacs, and only about 1 in 100 shoplifters are arrested for a crime, which is why there are repeat offenders.
On top of that, shoplifting and organized retail crime are the biggest threats to retailers, which cost the industry $30 billion annually.
