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Shoplifting costs the average American family an extra $500 per year, with those making at least $70,000 a year being 30% more likely to shoplift. 27 million Americans regularly attempt to shoplift, often for a sense of control. Shoplifting has increased since the Great Recession, with stores losing an additional 8.8%. Men and women shoplift at the same rate, and 55% start as teenagers. Nearly 98% get away with it, and popular items include chewing gum, cell phones, medications, deodorants, cosmetics, and energy drinks.
Every year, the average American family unknowingly spends an extra $500 on food and essential items because of the shoplifting habits of others. But the worst part is that many of the people who steal could easily afford these things. According to an oft-cited 2008 study, people making at least $70,000 a year are 30 percent more likely to shoplift than those making $20,000 or less. In her book The Steal: A Cultural History of Shoplifting, author Rachel Shteir writes that an estimated 27 million Americans regularly attempt to shoplift, but it’s usually not because they’re needy or hungry. Instead, they steal because they want to and because it gives them a sense of control.
In The Steal, Shteir’s goal is to overturn the preconceived notions we have about shoplifting and offer an overview with historical context. For example, he writes that since the Great Recession of the late 2000s, stores have lost an additional 8.8% due to shoplifting. And the crime affects everyone, as evidenced by the increase in the cost of products. For example, Shteir says that if a person steals a single heirloom tomato from Whole Foods, the store must sell $166 worth of items to recoup the loss.
Facts about sticky fingers:
Men and women shoplift at roughly the same rate, and 55 percent of them started when they were teenagers.
Nearly 98% of shoplifters get away with the crime; of those caught, about half are turned over to the police for prosecution.
The most popular items among shoplifters include chewing gum, cell phones, medications, deodorants, cosmetics, and energy drinks.
