Shoplifting

Shoplifting is defined as the theft of merchandise from retailers that are open for business to customers at the time of theft. Shoplifters usually attempt to blend in as law-abiding customers of stores to avoid detection and apprehension. Shoplifting is a common crime that is committed by people from all walks of life. Roughly 1 in 11 people regularly shoplift from stores. Although shoplifting is generally regarded as a minor crime, it consistently ranks as one of the most costly property crimes. In 2011 alone, shoplifting accounted for an estimated $51 billion in worldwide retail losses. It is also estimated that the cost of shoplifting to businesses inflates the price of consumer products by 10% to 15%; stores must raise prices of items that are shoplifted more often to offset losses. Despite sustained investments in retail security (e.g., uniformed guards, closed-circuit television [CCTV] cameras), shoplifting remains a substantial problem for most retailers. In addition to the enormous negative financial impacts of shoplifting on both employees and consumers, there are tangible and intangible costs. These costs include reduced staff morale, loss of work because of physical and psychological damage, and even loss of life.

There are several methods used by offenders to remove unpaid products from stores. These include (a) the “traditional” concealment in pocket or carried bag; (b) simply carrying (or pushing in a cart) the product out, with no attempt to conceal; and (c) ticket switching—replacing a price tag with a less expensive tag to pay less for a product.

Traditionally, shoplifting was thought to be a crime committed mainly by juveniles, women, opportunistic criminals, drug addicts, and the mentally ill. This is now widely regarded as a fallacy; in fact, shoplifting has become popular and profitable for career criminals. For example, some burglars have indicated that they shoplift to supplement their incomes when burglary may be too risky to attempt. Shoplifting is usually a nonviolent form of theft, but some prolific shoplifters are known to take more risks than amateurs and have been known to rob, attack, or abuse store staff when detected and their apprehension is attempted. The motivations for shoplifting vary, as do the types of shoplifters. Most shoplifters can be grouped into two categories: professionals and amateurs. Mary Cameron's The Booster and the Snitch provides a basic typology of shoplifters. She found that shoplifters tended to be professional or amateur thieves, which she referred to as “boosters” and “snitches,” respectively. In all, 10% were professional thieves who shoplifted products to sell them, which was their main form of income. These thieves are skilled and difficult to detect in a store, even for seasoned store security workers. Professionals accounted for only 10% of the shoplifters in Cameron's study, although they clearly caused significantly more losses than amateurs. The remaining 90% of shoplifters in Cameron's model were amateurs. These amateurs (“snitches”) were less unpredictable in their method and reason for shoplifting. Cameron noted that they would seem like ordinary, “respectable” citizens if their thievery had not been detected. They tended not to resell the products that they stole, nor were they desperately poor people, stealing out of necessity. For the most part, the amateurs were not observed to have compulsive, neurotic personalities.

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