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17th Annual Retail Theft Survey
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More than 750,000 shoplifters and dishonest employees were apprehended last year by just 27 U.S. retail companies, according to the 17th Annual Retail Theft Survey from Jack L. Hayes International. While both shoplifting and employee theft recovery and apprehensions were up, these same retailers still lost over $4.7 billion to shrink.
"The losses are staggering and continue to amaze us, especially the shoplifting statistics over the past several years", said Mark R. Doyle, President of Jack L. Hayes International. "Both the number of shoplifters apprehended and the dollars recovered from those apprehensions increased for the fourth straight year. On the internal theft issue, both the number of dishonest employees apprehended and the dollars recovered from those apprehensions increased in 2004, reversing a 3 year trend."
Key Findings from 17th Annual Retail Theft Survey
Retail Theft Survey Participants
27 large retailers with annual sales of $441.4 billion, employing over 1.7 million employees in 12,908 stores across the U.S.
Total Apprehensions Increased Last Year
Total apprehensions of both shoplifters and dishonest employees in 2004 increased 4.78 percent to 752,629 from 718,264 the prior year.
Total Dollar Recovery Increased Last Year
Total dollar recoveries from apprehended shoplifters and dishonest employees exceeded $112 million. This was an increase of 3.26 percent over recoveries in 2003.
Shrinkage Loss and Recovery
Only 2.74 percent of total retail theft losses resulted in a recovery. For every $1.00 recovered by the surveyed companies, $36.47 was lost to retail theft.
Shoplifters For the fourth straight year, the number of shoplifters apprehended and the dollars recovered from those apprehended shoplifters increased. Last year, 689,340 shoplifters were apprehended, an increase of 4.86 percent over the prior year. The retailers recovered $70.0 million from those apprehended, up 1.61 percent over 2003. In addition, the dollars recovered from shoplifters where no apprehension was made also increased by 4.86 percent. This is the 8th consecutive year of increases in recoveries without apprehension.
Employee Theft
Of the retailers surveyed, one in every 27.8 was apprehended for theft from their employer in 2004. Both the number of dishonest employees apprehended and the dollars recovered during those apprehensions increased last year. The retailers recovered $42.4 million, an increase of 6.10 percent, from the 63,289 dishonest employees apprehended, and increase of 4.01 percent over the prior year. The increase reverses a 3 year trend of declining employee theft recoveries.
Case Value
On a per case average, dishonest employees steal approximately $671.03, which is 6.6 times the $101.60 stolen by shoplifters. Last year, the average case value of recoveries from shoplifters dropped $3.25, a decrease of 3.1 percent. The average case value recovered from employee theft rose by $13.25, an increase of 2.01 percent in 2004.
According to Jack Hayes, "Shoplifting and employee theft are serious crimes which continue to plague retailers and have a serious negative effect on their bottom-line profits. These crimes continue to hurt our economy, costing consumers higher prices at the cash register, and causing a loss of jobs when retailers are forced to close stores or even go out of business."
"The losses are staggering and continue to amaze us, especially the shoplifting statistics over the past several years", said Mark R. Doyle, President of Jack L. Hayes International. "Both the number of shoplifters apprehended and the dollars recovered from those apprehensions increased for the fourth straight year. On the internal theft issue, both the number of dishonest employees apprehended and the dollars recovered from those apprehensions increased in 2004, reversing a 3 year trend."
Key Findings from 17th Annual Retail Theft Survey
Retail Theft Survey Participants
27 large retailers with annual sales of $441.4 billion, employing over 1.7 million employees in 12,908 stores across the U.S.
Total Apprehensions Increased Last Year
Total apprehensions of both shoplifters and dishonest employees in 2004 increased 4.78 percent to 752,629 from 718,264 the prior year.
Total Dollar Recovery Increased Last Year
Total dollar recoveries from apprehended shoplifters and dishonest employees exceeded $112 million. This was an increase of 3.26 percent over recoveries in 2003.
Shrinkage Loss and Recovery
Only 2.74 percent of total retail theft losses resulted in a recovery. For every $1.00 recovered by the surveyed companies, $36.47 was lost to retail theft.
Shoplifters For the fourth straight year, the number of shoplifters apprehended and the dollars recovered from those apprehended shoplifters increased. Last year, 689,340 shoplifters were apprehended, an increase of 4.86 percent over the prior year. The retailers recovered $70.0 million from those apprehended, up 1.61 percent over 2003. In addition, the dollars recovered from shoplifters where no apprehension was made also increased by 4.86 percent. This is the 8th consecutive year of increases in recoveries without apprehension.
Employee Theft
Of the retailers surveyed, one in every 27.8 was apprehended for theft from their employer in 2004. Both the number of dishonest employees apprehended and the dollars recovered during those apprehensions increased last year. The retailers recovered $42.4 million, an increase of 6.10 percent, from the 63,289 dishonest employees apprehended, and increase of 4.01 percent over the prior year. The increase reverses a 3 year trend of declining employee theft recoveries.
Case Value
On a per case average, dishonest employees steal approximately $671.03, which is 6.6 times the $101.60 stolen by shoplifters. Last year, the average case value of recoveries from shoplifters dropped $3.25, a decrease of 3.1 percent. The average case value recovered from employee theft rose by $13.25, an increase of 2.01 percent in 2004.
According to Jack Hayes, "Shoplifting and employee theft are serious crimes which continue to plague retailers and have a serious negative effect on their bottom-line profits. These crimes continue to hurt our economy, costing consumers higher prices at the cash register, and causing a loss of jobs when retailers are forced to close stores or even go out of business."