What we know (and don’t) about the rise in retail theft

To access shampoo and many other products at a Target store in Pasadena, shoppers have to alert store employees to come unlock shelves. Lofstrom told me that although state crime data can show the overall trend of retail theft, “we cannot separately identify if a particular incident was driven by organized retail theft.” He also noted that it’s difficult to paint in broad, statewide strokes when it comes to crime. “Even though crime has been trending downward for more than a quarter of a century, in nearly every year since 1996 Gallup poll respondents have said they felt less safe than the year before.” Simply put, when the news media regularly fills broadcasts or social feeds with visuals of criminal chaos, they’re sending a signal to the public: this is what you should be concerned about. It’s hard to watch those videos and not feel your blood boil and get angry and feel that a wrong has been done, because it has.” Retailers citing crime for closing stores ‘tells a partial truth’ Looking at the data, it’s clear retail theft is having an impact on businesses. Company officials said they “cannot continue operating these stores because theft and organized retail crime are threatening the safety of our team and guests, and contributing to unsustainable business performance.” But Kubrin said that framing only “tells a partial truth.” Among the truths not mentioned by Target and other retailers, she explained: inflation has made the economics of running stores more challenging.