“The surge in organized retail theft will shutter storefronts and further drive up costs for consumers already grappling with high inflation, economists at the Heritage Foundation said…
In 2021, retail ‘shrink,’ or thefts, cost the industry $94.5 billion in losses, up 4% year-over-year and nearly double the $50.6 billion in 2018, according to data from the National Retail Federation. The report shows cases of organized retail crime rings — where thieves are hired to steal specific items to be resold online — have surged more than 26% from the year prior.”