1990 looks like a great year … for shoplifters - Prevention Pays - column

Discount Store News, Nov 27, 1989 by Jack Hayes

1990 Looks Like a Great Year ... for Shoplifters

Today it's difficult to pick up a newspaper or turn on the TV without reading or hearing stories on crime, drug abuse, and corruption.

Should we expect problems such as these to impact our industry? I certainly think so! I expect 1990 to be a banner year for retail thieves.

Let's talk about shoplifting since it certainly appears to be on the rise. According to the FBI, incidents of reported shoplifting to law enforcement agencies have increased 33 percent from 1983 to 1987. Next, we are also seeing more positive utilization of preventative measures within the retail industry. In a recent study conducted jointly by Arthur Young and IMRA, 79 percent of the retailers polled use training programs to stem shrinkage losses, compared with only 47 percent in 1982.

Today, 59 percent of the study participants said they use EAS, compared with only 39 percent in 1982. However, the leading strategy for all retailers continues to be the use of guards and detectives. In fact, retailers polled in the AY/IMRA study said they are employing more guards and detectives today than they did five years ago. Eighty percent said they were using guards and detectives, compared with 69 percent five years ago.

Naturally, increased personnel and electronics usage also means increased costs to combat shrinkage in general. During the five-year period ending in 1987, participating retailers in the AY/IMRA study reported an 9 percent increase in spending on loss prevention. In spite of this increased spending, the study reported that shrinkage losses climbed steadily for all of the three market segments (department stores, specialty stores and mass merchants) studied. Hardest hit were mass merchants, who reported a 40 percent rise in shrinkage during the period.

The AY/IMRA study also took a close look at the apprehended shoplifter. Of those customers apprehended, 52 percent were male 48 percent female. Forty-three percent were under 18 years old; 35 percent were between 18 and 35, while only 22 percent were over 35. Of these apprehended shoplifters, a greater percentage (55 percent) were employed. Among the appreheded female shoplifters, 51 percent were employed vs. 59 percent of the apprehended males.