Lately, there has been an uptick in theft from retail stores, even causing some to shut their doors. Theft can create significant problems for retail stores, including loss of profit, loss of product, and loss of jobs when stores are forced to close. Losing profit appears to be the number one problem retail stores have with theft. In 2021, small business retail owners reported losing up to $93.9 billion in gross revenue to theft, according to the National Retail Security Survey. In 2022, these reports from the article “Retail Theft Losses Mount From Shoplifting, Flash Mobs — And Organized Crime” by Harrison Miller, showed the loss of money had reached up to $112.1 billion in losses.
Loss of product in the retail industry has another impact. The immediate loss of sellable products can hurt the company’s ability to offer items to consumers willing to buy them, and the cost of replacing stolen goods increases production costs.
Theft happens frequently and employees are ready for a change. Yasmin Hussein was employed at the Target off of Powell Boulevard that was shut down due to shoplifting. She states, “I think shoplifting might affect stores to the degree that the employees might start fearing for their lives.” Many employees know store security is consistently nearby to help through any dangerous situations. “Yes, I’ve seen multiple people steal … [but] I felt safe due to my job’s protocols and how they handle the situation,” Hussein adds. However, some employees share that there are times when they’ve felt uneasy after someone came inside their place of work and began to cause a scene.
In terms of the way security handles theft-related situations, some employees at the Clackamas Town Center Mall share that security does their best to try to keep everyone safe. By law, mall security isn’t allowed to do the “hands-on technique” as employees call it. Instead, security walks around the perimeter of their workspace to ensure all of the grounds are under control.
Jessa Chiang, an employee at Clackamas Town Center Mall, attests to how frequently she sees shoplifting. “I would say every day … I notice that it happens mostly when we’re busy, so the people that shoplift think that security is too busy and aren’t paying attention to them. But they most definitely are watching,” she adds.
In some cases, stores end up shutting down due to theft. Recently, theft caused nine Targets to close across the U.S., along with some Walmarts, Nordstroms, and Macy’s. All types of retail stores have closed due to the theft and lack of profit.
Paulina, who works at Clackamas Town Center Mall, explains that someone might steal because of a problem with prices, being thrilled by the adrenaline rush, or even just stealing because they want to. “You can’t change someone’s actions if they are set on doing it already,” she expresses.
When stores shut down, many people wonder if their locations contribute to the decision. Though all retail stores seem to experience theft, sometimes there’s a higher increase due to where the retail store is. However, Hussein adds that she doesn’t think there is a significant increase in theft depending on where the location is, as she believes all retail stores have to deal with theft. Potentially though, “[being in] locations with high crime rates and poverty [may] contribute to theft,” she explains.
Overall, theft in retail stores has intensified throughout the years. However, there may be solutions to these problems. An overall consensus stated by the aforementioned retail store employees is that stores should have more security surrounding them. Security should also be trained for all scenarios to keep people in line, while not harming anyone in the process or creating bigger problems. Theft can be dealt with, but many believe change needs to occur in a way that keeps everyone calm and understanding.
