Shoplifters to Steal $1.8 Billion This Holiday Season

Stores around the country have seen increased sales due to the holiday season, but they’ve also seen a rise in shoplifting. A new report estimates that $1.84 billion in merchandise will be stolen during the holidays.

The Global Retail Theft Barometer, which surveys retailers worldwide, says that close to $2 billion will be stolen during the four weeks prior to Christmas. That number is up 6 percent from last year.

Joshua Bamfield, executive director of the Center for Retail Research, said:

“They shoplift for Christmas gifts, they steal for themselves, for their family.”

The New York Daily News reports that the holiday atmosphere can give thieves the perfect opportunity to shoplift. Overcrowded stores provide an easy cover for Holiday thieves, and with the current state of the economy, many people can justify a little theft.

Joseph LaRocca, senior advisor of asset protection for the National Retail Federation trade group, said:

“It’s really a question of need versus greed. People will rationalize what they are stealing: ‘Oh, I’m feeling the economy. I lost my job’.”

Earlier this month, a report was released that detailed the 10 most shoplifted items. Among the objects chosen most be thieves were razor blades, electronics, and Filet Mignon.

Johnny Custer, director of field operations for Merchant Analytic Solutions, said:

“Most shoplifters simply succumb to temptation. But add a sense of desperation because of the economy and holiday pressures, and you have the recipe for theft soup.”

According to the NY Daily News, one in 11 people will steal this holiday season.

Did you give yourself a five finger discount this year?