“Outrunning Fear: Is the Fear of Shoplifting Surges Justified?

The debate over a potential surge in shoplifting since the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic has generated heated discussion among businesses, governments, law enforcement, and citizens. While some believe the rise in shoplifting is a real problem, others argue that fears of a shoplifting surge are running away with the facts. The cold hard facts show that shoplifting did rise by as much as 24% in certain areas of the United States in 2020, compared to the previous year. This was in part attributed to the financial hardships people faced as a result of the pandemic, which led to an increase in theft from retailers. However, this was not a general trend around the globe. In fact, there was no significant increase in shoplifting in most countries. In the UK, there was a slight decrease in shoplifting overall. Further, smaller scale studies conducted in 2020 concluded that there was no significant increase in shoplifting in the United States. What is more, the statistics from 2020 are much lower than those in the mid-2000s. During this time, the rise in shoplifting was almost double the rate reported in 2020, and much higher than in 2019. This is an important point to consider, as it suggests that the problem of shoplifting is not a new one. What is more, the security measures put in place by retailers before the pandemic, such as cameras and electronic security tags, were already proving to be effective in deterring shoplifting. As such, there is reason to believe that even without a pandemic, shoplifting would be at a manageable level. In conclusion, the fears of a surge in shoplifting as a result of the pandemic are not entirely well founded. The facts on the ground suggest that shoplifting overall has not seen a significant increase in 2020. Furthermore, security measures were already proving to be effective in deterring shoplifting prior to the pandemic.