Will the Retail Theft Era Ever Come to an End?

Late last year, data from the Council on Criminal Justice revealed that shoplifting and retail theft had increased in some cities while declining in others.

In the last few years, cities across the nation have been sharing reports of retail crime in all sorts of shapes and sizes, ranging from flash mobs in broad daylight to organized retail crime rings.

The analysis of incidents in 24 cities over five years showed that New York and Los Angeles experienced the largest rise in reported shoplifting from mid-2019 to mid-2023, whereas St. Petersburg and St. Paul noted significant decreases. During the pandemic's height, shoplifting incidents dropped by 37%, but the proportion categorized as felonies rose dramatically.

A more recent update from June 2024 from the Council on Criminal Justice shared that the rate of shoplifting during the first half of the year was an average of 24% higher than the first half of 2023 and 10% higher than the first half of 2019.

Major retailers have attributed store closures to rising theft, with companies like Safeway and Walmart citing shoplifting as a reason for operational changes. Despite their efforts, challenges have remained in accurately tracking shoplifting incidents due to self-reporting issues.

Retail theft has even affected self-checkout kiosks and called for regulating self-checkout systems, particularly in California with proposed bill SB 1446 to limit self-checkout stations and certain items to curb theft and protect jobs. In response, companies like Walmart and Target have reassessed their self-checkout strategies, either by limiting use or enhancing security to improve customer service and address theft concerns.

Last month, New York enacted a law mandating that retail stores install panic buttons to enhance worker safety amid rising retail theft, which had seen a 19.4% increase in losses from 2021 to 2022, totaling over $112 billion. The legislation, part of the Retail Worker Safety Act, applies to stores with 10 or more employees and requires functional panic buttons by Jan. 1, 2027.

As reported by Quartz, Target plans to continue securing essential items such as body wash, deodorant, and undergarments behind protective barriers for the foreseeable future. Customers will be required to wave their hands in front of devices near the glass enclosures to access these products. CEO Brian Cornell did not indicate whether there are any intentions to remove the glass barriers in the near future.

Furthermore, Cornell acknowledged improvements to retail theft challenges, mentioning how he feels better today about retail theft than he did last year. This is particularly due to increased government support in California and assistance from the Department of Homeland Security,

Target also recently changed its return policy. On its official website, Target now specifies how it "reserves the right to deny returns, refunds and exchanges including but not limited to prevent fraud, suspected fraud or abuse."

Recent reports indicate that retail theft continues to persist in various regions. For example:

• Roseville, California: According to the Sacramento Bee, two suspects were arrested by Roseville police on Wednesday for allegedly stealing around two dozen Stanley cups from a retail store.
• Central Pennsylvania: Per PAhomepage.com, police arrested five people for stealing from a Walmart in Luzerne County in separate theft incidents over the last two months. This includes a 41-year-old woman in Berwick who was caught under-scanning groceries and household items for less than their marked prices.
• Ventura County, California: The Ventura County Organized Retail Theft Task Force, in coordination with loss prevention teams from Home Depot, T.J. Maxx, and Target, apprehended 16 suspects involved in retail theft last month, as reported by KTLA 5. They recovered almost $2,000 worth of stolen items, along with "burglary tools and methamphetamine, authorities said."
• Albany County, New York: Two women were arraigned after being linked to thefts totaling over $50,000 from retailers such as Kohl's, Dick's Sporting Goods, and Ulta, according to WRGB.
• Washington, D.C.: A security guard shared with 7News that rising prices on basic goods have led to an increase in thefts, contributing to her decision to start "stepping back" from her duties. Additionally, a 64-year-old man was recently arrested in connection to 23 retail thefts totaling almost $7,000.

The Hill poses a question from a thief’s standpoint: "Why break into a house, likely in a low-income area, where there is little of value to steal when the thief can walk into a drugstore or department store in San Francisco, Chicago or New York City and take thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise and no one will stop him?"