How big of a problem is retail theft across the globe? The number of shoplifters and employee thieves apprehended by retailers in 2010 amounted to almost 6.2 million – the size of many countries and an increase of 389,000 compared to the previous year when it had increased by one-half million, according to the Global Retail Theft Barometer by the Centre for Retail Research. Most of these were shoplifters, who constituted 86 percent of the total number of offenders apprehended, 5.3 million people. In addition, 0.84 million employee thieves were also apprehended.