Will Cupchik, Ph.D., author of Why Honest People Shoplift or Commit Other Acts of Theft, knows his stuff. So does Retail Forward, Inc., the global retail market research and consulting firm. Their separate studies indicate a sharp rise in shoplifting activity, beginning this past holiday season and extending throughout this year.
Dr. Cupchik cites trauma related to the events of September 11th, stress and financial pressures due to the ailing economy and widespread unemployment as leading factors driving the anticipated increase of retail shoplifting.