Retailers are grappling with escalating inventory shrinkage, impacting their financial performance. Dollar General and Dollar Tree have reported significant losses due to shoplifting, employee theft, and other factors. While consumer spending remains strong, rising inflation is impacting low-income households, further exacerbating the issue. Meanwhile, Best Buy’s success in combating shrinkage offers valuable insights for the retail industry.
Morrisons, the UK supermarket chain, has decided to reduce the number of self-checkouts in its stores after an analysis revealed that it had installed too many. The decision comes as other retailers, like Asda and Booths, also move away from self-checkouts and prioritize manned tills and staff investment.
This article examines the surge in shoplifting in California, blaming the policies of former Attorney General Kamala Harris. The author argues that her soft-on-crime approach, including defunding the police and reducing penalties for theft, has created a culture of lawlessness, resulting in an $8 billion per year industry. The article highlights Proposition 36, a ballot measure aimed at reversing Harris’s policies and restoring order to the state.
In response to growing concerns about organized crime rings and brazen shoplifting, the California Senate has approved a comprehensive package of 15 bills. These measures aim to increase penalties for organized theft, expand drug court programs, and close loopholes that have made it challenging to prosecute auto thefts. Additionally, large online marketplaces like eBay and Amazon will be required to verify the identities of sellers who make at least $5,000 profit yearly, reducing the ease of selling stolen goods.
London’s armed shoplifting incidents have witnessed a staggering 91% increase since Sadiq Khan took office. Between 2015 and 2023, overall shoplifting cases in the city also escalated by 34%. Despite these alarming trends, Mayor Khan contends that the cost of living crisis and government austerity have contributed to the rise in acquisitive crimes throughout the country. However, critics point to the diminished police presence in London, with less than half of all shoplifting incidents attended to by officers.
Shoplifting offenses in England and Wales have reached their highest level in two decades, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The number of shoplifting offenses recorded in the year to December 2023 was 430,104, a 37% increase from the previous year. Theft from the person offenses also saw a significant increase, with 125,563 offenses recorded in 2023, up 18% from 2022.
Target has implemented a new policy at its DC USA location in Columbia Heights, Washington DC, requiring all shoppers under 18 to be accompanied by an adult during in-store visits. This rule appears to be enforced by the mall itself, which also has signs stipulating the age restriction outside its multi-story development. Target has not yet responded to requests for comment on the new policy.
In a relentless effort to curb rampant theft, Walmart has resorted to locking even inexpensive items behind glass enclosures. This drastic measure follows a nationwide surge in shoplifting that has cost the retail giant billions of dollars. Facing mounting losses, Walmart has also been piloting various self-checkout modifications, from limiting item purchases to eliminating the kiosks entirely at certain locations.
Christopher Russell, known as Christopher Sedgley, has been banned from entering multiple stores and a retail park for three years after a series of shoplifting incidents in Crewe. The 39-year-old was apprehended by Cheshire Police and issued a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO). This includes restrictions against entering specified stores such as The Cooperative, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, and Morrisons, as well as utilizing threatening or abusive behavior in public. The ban aims to prevent Russell from targeting businesses and causing inconvenience to residents and retailers. Cheshire Police emphasize their commitment to deterring anti-social behavior and criminality in the area.
Two suspects, Nicole Vargas and Francisco Ruiz, were arrested after allegedly shoplifting and leading police on a chase in Clovis, California. The chase ended after officers used a PIT maneuver on their vehicle, and both Vargas and Ruiz were arrested on multiple charges, including grand theft, evading, and possession of drugs and paraphernalia.
