Shoplifters and Dishonest Employees Continue to Steal, with Case Values Soaring
More than 279,000 shoplifters and dishonest employees were apprehended in 2018 by just 20 large retailers who recovered more than $114 million from thieves, according to the 31st Annual Retail Theft Survey conducted by Jack L. Hayes International.
“Theft case values soared in 2018 with the average shoplifting case value ($301.97) increasing 11.8%; the average dishonest employee case value ($1,361.37) increasing an amazing 30.1%; and the total average theft case value ($408.77) up 17.0%! While the retailers participating in this survey did not apprehend as many thieves as they did the previous year, they were recovering more dollars from the thieves they did apprehend,” said Mark R. Doyle, President of Jack L. Hayes International, Inc. “With the increase in dollar recoveries, retail theft overall continues to be a serious problem for retailers negatively impacting their bottom-line, which results in higher prices to consumers.”