Retail theft now costs this country $5 billion a year, according to the Retail Council of Canada, and it’s not only increasing, but becoming more brazen.
Shoplifting is no longer just a case of a sticky-fingered customer slipping a lipstick or mickey of gin in their pocket. Often, it involves organized crime and/or groups of thieves who enter a store to steal multiple items at the same time — even removing entire shopping carts full of merchandise.
Retail thefts Cost $5b Per Year
Experts blame inflation, the high cost of living, mental health issues and addiction problems.
The RCC says that, on average, retail thefts have risen by about 300 per cent since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. Those thefts have also been accompanied by a rise in abusive behaviour, which is one reason police advise against confronting a suspected thief directly.
Retail Thefts Have Risen 300% Since 2020
Some employees report being threatened with knives, needles, machetes and bear spray; one London Drugs staffer was even hit with a hatchet. And when the Canadian Federation of Independent Business surveyed its members last year, they found that small-business owners in B.C. were significantly more worried about employee safety than their counterparts in other provinces.
Shoplifting affects all types of retailers, and the cost to a business can be enormous. It’s not just the loss of merchandise, but the expense of security measures, the difficulty retaining staff and a likely increase in insurance rates, all of which result in lower revenue for the store and higher prices for customers. In some cases, retailers have been forced to close their doors for good.
Retail organizations have appealed to governments at all levels to tackle the underlying issues, but so far it seems like a problem with no solution in sight.
