A university study finds mandatory policing of shoplifting and other “customer deviant behavior” often produces strong negative emotions in retail associates, leading to perceptions of unfairness and increased turnover.
Research from Florida Atlantic University and three other schools based on a series of in-depth interviews, three experiments and a survey found:
- Employees expect managers to be more active in guarding the store.
- More than a quarter of respondents don’t know their employers’ policies for guarding the store.
“Front-line employees [FLE] are being asked to do too much, policing the misbehavior and confronting shoplifters, often without extra money or training,” saidMelanie Lorenz, Ph.D., an associate marketing professor at Florida Atlantic University’s College of Business.
David Johnston, VP, asset protection and retail operations at the National Retail Federation, in a recent blog entry, said shoplifting and retail theft had reached an “epidemic level,” with “brazen” thieves openly stealing and stores closing or shortening hours to avoid theft.
Most retailers have a policy against associates chasing or physically confronting suspected shoplifters. The approach is intended to protect the safety of associates and avoid the risk of racially profiling innocent shoppers.
Still, standard practice calls for store associates to alert their managers of a potential shoplifting situation. Associates are also told working the floor discourages shoplifting.
A Shopify blog entry exploring return fraud encourages retail associates to ask additional questions to “weed out bad actors from legitimate returners.”
In a Houston Chronicle article exploring shoplifting’s impact, Neil Kokemuller writes, “Employees may feel a sense of paranoia if they constantly hear the store has a shoplifting issue. The negative measures taken to deter shoplifting can impede employee instincts toward a positive and welcoming attitude with customers. Employees also may become overly suspicious of customers and get overzealous in their efforts to protect the store’s inventory.”
A Harlem View article also noted that shoplifting makes staff uncomfortable. Nejah, an associate at a Harlem pharmacy who declined to give his last name, said, “Retail or working somewhere where you have to worry about shoplifting is definitely a crazy experience.”
FAQs
A university study finds mandatory policing of shoplifting and other “customer deviant behavior” often produces strong negative emotions in retail associates, leading to perceptions of unfairness and increased turnover.
What damage do shoplifters do to retail stores? ›
In the U.S., retail stores lost $112.1 billion from retail theft in 2022, up 4% from 94.5 billion gross revenue lost due to shoplifting and other theft in 2021.
Is shoplifting really surging? ›
The council tracks 24 major U.S. cities. Overall, shoplifting incidents were 16 percent higher in the first half of 2023 than the first half of 2019. When New York City is excluded, however, reported shoplifting incidents fell over the same time period. Out of the 24 cities, 17 reported decreases in shoplifting.
Is shoplifting really on the rise? ›
Although shoplifting increased in some cities during the first half of the year compared to pre-pandemic levels, there is no clear national rise in shoplifting, according to a new analysis by the Council on Criminal Justice, a nonpartisan criminal justice policy organization.
Why does shoplifting harm every consumer? ›
The higher prices consumers must pay to cover losses from theft. The inconvenience and invasiveness of security measures to consumers when shopping in stores. The reduction of staff or wages for employees when stores lose profits. The loss of community jobs when stores are forced to close.
Do stores track you down after shoplifting? ›
Do stores track down shoplifters? Yes, stores often turn over video surveillance data to police authorities; in many cases, products are able to be recovered. However, there is not always criminal apprehension alongside the inventory recovery.
Why can't retailers stop shoplifters? ›
More than 41% of companies in the NRF survey said no employees in their stores are allowed to stop or apprehend shoplifters. The reason for this is usually a fear of the violence and liability that could come from such confrontations.
What percent of shoplifters get caught? ›
What percentage of shoplifters are caught? Shoplifters are only caught about once out of every 48 times they steal — just over 2% of the time.
Who is most likely to be a shoplifter? ›
No one ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, or socioeconomic status is more likely to shoplift than another. Shoplifters come in all sizes and walks of life. For example, contrary to widespread opinion, people in the 35-54 age range are most commonly caught shoplifting!
What state has the highest shoplifting rate? ›
In 2022, the District of Columbia had the highest larceny-theft rate in the United States, with 2,783 cases of reported larceny-theft per 100,000 inhabitants. Washington, Oregon, Colorado, and Louisiana rounded out the top five states for larceny-theft in that year.
There's no typical profile of a shoplifter. Men and women shoplift about equally. Adults comprise 75 percent of shoplifters. The vast majority of shoplifters (nearly 75 percent) shoplift not out of economic need or greed, but in response to personal and social pressures.
What time of day does most shoplifting occur? ›
Most items are taken from local stores and are placed into a pocket or bag. Most shoplifting is committed in the afternoon, and Saturday is the peak day.
Has retail theft gotten worse? ›
Recent studies show that retail theft has increased in some of California's big cities — with shoplifting rates jumping nearly 50% in San Francisco since 2019 — while some rural and suburban areas of the state have seen a drop in those crimes.
Which item is most commonly shoplifting? ›
The most commonly stolen items include perfumes, makeup, and skincare products. The reason why these items are popular among shoplifters is that they are small and easy to conceal. Additionally, for their small size, these cosmetic items can resell for quite a bit of money.
What is the average amount stolen when shoplifting occurs? ›
The median value of goods stolen in shoplifting incidents grew from approximately $75 in 2019 to roughly $100 in 2021. Looking at 90% of incidents and excluding those in the top 10% in terms of value, the value of stolen goods in shoplifting incidents in 2021 was $756 or less, a $184 increase from 2019.
What do stores do about shoplifters? ›
In addition, stores in California enjoy what is called "shopkeeper's privilege." Under California law, the principle of shopkeeper's privilege permits shopkeepers (or store owners or merchants) to detain a customer if they have probable cause that the person is guilty of shoplifting (per Penal Code 459.5).
Do retail stores build cases on shoplifters? ›
In many cases, stores have actually instructed workers to not interfere in minor instances of theft. Instead, they ask the employee to report it to store safety personnel who then build a case against the thief.
How do stores go after shoplifters? ›
When there is missing inventory or if something distinctive is gone from the shelves, businesses may review security footage. When they find the clip of footage showing when the theft took place they will call it into the authorities.
What happens to people who steal from stores? ›
Consequences. Shoplifting is considered a form of theft and is subject to prosecution. Retailers may also ban from their premises those who have shoplifted from stores.
What are the consequences of being a shoplifter? ›
While most shoplifting charges are misdemeanors with a maximum penalty of one year in county jail, stealing items of considerable value may elevate the charge to a felony, potentially leading to state prison sentences.
