There are three kinds of consumers: those who will never shoplift; those who will always shoplift; and those who, given the right opportunity, environment and justification will try their hand at shoplifting. Although the opportunity is technically always there, the store environment is changing because of retail budget cuts and, more important, the ability of today’s consumer to make excuses and justify shoplifting because of the poor economy. In all likelihood, it is the third group (the fence-sitters) that accounts for the increases in amateur shoplifting identified by 84 percent of retailers in RILA’s recent Current Crime Trends Survey.
Theoretically then, if these factors go back to normal when the economy improves, so too will the level of shoplifting, right? Unfortunately, not likely. It would be very dangerous to be lulled into thinking that when the economy improves these increases in amateur or consumer shoplifting will be reversed and simply go away because the economy is better and people no longer feel they have to shoplift to get by.
In fact, based on 20+ years of consumer shoplifter research, it is safe to say such a return to normality will not be the case. Once Pandora’s Box has been opened whether by the economy, or any other pretense or justification – and these new consumer shoplifters confirm that shoplifting is indeed a low-risk, high-reward activity – then they will not be quick to change their new-found ways. The National Association for Shoplifting Prevention’s (NASP) research and risk assessments have consistently identified approximately one-third of shoplifting offenders to be at high risk of repeating their offense. In addition, in terms of the frequency of their theft, 27 percent of apprehended consumer shoplifters reveal that they are habitual repeat offenders who steal as often as weekly (14 percent) or even daily (13 percent).
Retailers who today take a proactive role in helping to stem the tide of newly minted, economy-driven shoplifters have the best hope of curtailing the development of chronic offenders, both now AND when the economy improves.
Today’s retailers no longer have to go it alone in their effort to reduce consumer shoplifting. As part of NASP’s mission, we work with retailers and community stakeholders to help them examine the local shoplifting problem. NASP believes no one knows better how shoplifting affects a community and what can be done to reduce the problem than those who live and work in the community. By the same token, nothing will change unless all stakeholders play a part in reducing the shoplifting problem. NASP equips the various community stakeholders with strategies, information, skills, program models, materials, connections and resources and then helps to coordinate an action plan suitable to the local climate.
In fact, the recent attention paid by the media to the rise in economy-driven shoplifting and the perils to communities has prompted a flood of calls to NASP from crime prevention, law enforcement, prosecutors and the courts asking what they can do to help reduce the shoplifting problem in their community. These calls have created an opportunity for retailers to join NASP in utilizing the nationwide heightened awareness to engage community action in prevention efforts and reduce repeat offenses by current offenders.