Survey: Retail theft rises for first time in six years

Boca Raton, Fla. Retail theft, including shoplifting, employee theft, administrative error and vendor fraud, is on the increase, according to a recent annual survey conducted by the University of Florida with a funding grant from ADT Security Services.

The National Retail Security Survey (NRSS) preliminary results show a real increase in the rate of retail theft for the first time in six years. In 2007, the lowest rate of retail theft in the 18-year history of the survey was reported at a rate of 1.44% of overall retail sales. In 2008, the rate rose to 1.52% of sales, translating into losses of $36.5 billion.

"This year both the dollar loss and rate of loss increased and the evidence shows that the economy and resulting cutbacks in staffing by retailers are creating an opportunistic environment for both individual shoplifters and organized retail criminals," said University of Florida criminologist Richard Hollinger, who directed the National Retail Security Survey. "These are preliminary numbers from 2008 and do not reflect shoplifting and retail theft rates from the first part of 2009, when the recession was considered by many to be at its deepest."