Retail shrink is now no longer a small annoyance but a behemoth problem that’s hitting companies across the board, with losses redefining the way stores operate. In 2024 alone, the United States retailers lost an estimated $45.0 billion to theft, and as experts say, that could jump to an eye-watering $53 billion by 2027. This is not a number it’s a wake-up call for store owners who are grappling with the expense of pilfered goods and the ripple effect on their bottom line.
Reality on the ground is bleak. Shoplifting crimes skyrocketed in 2023 to 1.15 million reported crimes nationwide, the highest since 2019. That’s a whopping 93% increase from only four years earlier, which shows just how brazen and rampant such crimes have grown. Each theft whittles away profits, with the average shoplifting crime in 2020 costing retailers $461.86 a number that rapidly adds up when multiplied by tens of thousands of stores.
To fight back, retailers need to know what’s being stolen and why. From high-tech gadgets to everyday essentials, thieves are targeting specific items that are easy to steal and sell. By diving into the data and stories behind these thefts, we’ve compiled a list of the ten most commonly shoplifted items, paired with practical security tips to help stores protect themselves. This guide is aiming to provide retailers with the knowledge and tools necessary to fight this growing threat head-on.
1. Ink Cartridges
Ink cartridges might seem like an unlikely target, but they are a gold mine for burglars since they’re so prized and easily sold on. Thieves like “The General,” a Manhattan godfather, ran a high-end robbery ring targeting retailers like Best Buy and Staples, using concealment-pouch vests to steal HP and Epson cartridges. These robberies are not random grabs these are carefully orchestrated, with stolen goods feeding a profitable black market.
The attractiveness of ink cartridges is their portability and consistent demand. A Utah news article told the story of three men from California who stole thousands of dollars’ worth of cartridges so they could resell them at home. This kind of organized crime shows how thieves use the portability and marketability of such products to their advantage, making them one of the favorite marks for professional shoplifters across the country.
- Locking Devices: Store ink cartridges in locked cases or counters to avoid snatches.
- Surveillance Systems: Install high-resolution cameras in electronics sections to scan for suspicious activity.
- Staff Training: Train staff on identifying evidence of organized shoplifting, for example, customers lingering around high-value products.
- Alarm Systems: Use motion-sensing alarms to trigger alarms to staff for unauthorized access into secured products.
Consumers are pushing back, but it’s a losing battle. Store security personnel, like the man at Office Depot who alerted police to the California threesome, are essential to the arrest of shoplifters. Retailers are also locking up expensive items like ink cartridges, and 69% of retailers have expanded the use of secure case and hooks between 2019 and 2023. These coupled with state-of-the-art alarm systems are essential in thwarting over $10,000 in store losses via ink theft.
2. Red Bull Energy Drinks
Energy beverages like Red Bull will not scream “high-value,” but their popularity and convenience make them the perfect shoplifter’s treasure. In Riverdale, New Jersey, three people were caught trying to shoplift $160 in Red Bull from a Walmart, just loading up a cart and walking out. All these little thefts add up, totaling the billions taken annually across the retail sector.
Why are energy drinks highly desirable by thieves? Their popularity and ease of resale. Cans stolen are often marketed on the black market, often sold for funding other activities such as drug use, as police found drug paraphernalia on Riverdale suspects. This vicious cycle of crime sustained by shoplifting of common products illustrates the way in which even ordinary objects can perpetuate a cycle of crime.
- EAS Tags: Mount electronic tags on energy drink packs to trigger alarms when removed unpaid.
- Strategic Shelving: Place top-selling items like Red Bull next to cashier points to enhance visibility.
- Security Personnel: Deploy more uniformed staff during peak hours to deter opportunistic shoplifters.
- Inventory Checks: Conduct regular stock checks to identify theft early and rebalance security measures.
To combat this, retailers are turning to technology and strategy. Electronic article surveillance (EAS) tags, used by 72% of stores in 2023, help deter theft of items like Red Bull. Store layouts are also being redesigned to keep high-demand goods in plain sight of staff, while increased security presence 44% of retailers now use EAS tags in all locations helps stop thieves before they slip out the door.
3. High-End Headphones
To push back, retailers are turning to technology and strategy. Electronic article surveillance (EAS) tags, used by 72% of retailers in 2023, discourage theft of products like Red Bull. Store layouts are also being redesigned to keep merchandise of high demand in open sight of staff, while increased security presence 44% of retailers using EAS tags on all stores keeps thieves from escaping before exiting the store.
Premium headphones, like Bose and Beats by Dre, are a criminal’s gold mine due to their expense and resale value. The “The General”-led Manhattan crime ring targeted Bose QuietComfort 35 headphones, as well as other electronics, showcasing how these items are highly sought after by professional thieves. Due to their compact nature and brand recognition, they are easy to steal and sell.
- Secure Displays: Use locked cases or tethered displays for headsets to discourage easy theft.
- Warehouse Security: Use perimeter alarms and motion detectors to lock up storage areas.
- Online Monitoring: Track resale websites for suspicious postings of high-end headsets.
- Staff Vigilance: Have employees report suspicious customer activity near electronics.
The theft of headphones can be vast in scope. In Costa Mesa, California, burglars broke into a warehouse and stole $250,000 worth of headphones, each pair worth between $1,000 and $2,000. These top-shelf heists require planning and coordination, and they reflect how more complex retail crime has become that retailers must battle.
They are getting tight with tighter security. 78% of multi-store retailers utilize locking cases and cages, now standard for high-end electronics. They are also warned by authorities to be on guard against hot headphones on platforms such as Amazon and eBay, since these items re-circulate in the marketplace at below-market prices, making them a warning sign both in the store and online.
4. Fitbits
The Fitbits are small, costly, and warm, all qualities that make them a thief’s choice. The same Manhattan crew that swiped headphones swiped Fitbits, putting on these discreetly in their hidden-pocket vests. They’re small and valuable, making them a convenient choice with high payoff and low risk.
Across the country, Fitbit theft is common. Three college students in North Carolina were arrested for stealing Fitbits at one Walmart store, and similar cases have been reported in Tennessee and Georgia. These cases illustrate how both opportunistic crooks and gangs are drawn to the same qualities: compact size and the ready availability of an instant resale market.
- Locked Cases: Store Fitbits in locked, clear cases to make them apparent yet inaccessible to thieves.
- Visible Security: Place uniformed security personnel in visible locations near electronics to prevent shoplifting.
- Inventory Tracking: Use real-time inventory tracking systems to immediately determine missing items.
- Customer Screening: Train employees to watch for concealment tactics, including baggy clothing.
Shoppers are responding with harder measures. Shuttering cases and hooks, employed by 69% of retailers between 2019-2023, help to lock up these small gadgets. Meanwhile, 75% of retailers have placed uniformed security officers inside their stores, making for an open display that serves as a deterrent to potential thieves, especially kids, who make up a significant proportion of shoplifters.
5. Razors
Razors, especially high-end shaving systems, are a hallmark of shoplifting, often stored out of reach in stores due to their regular pilfering. They are small but heavily valued on the resale market, making them easy to steal and sell, said a Chicago Tribune article that linked the stealing of razors to the black market, not to shaving. This shows the monetary motive behind the crimes.
Shoppers like CVS and Walgreens are priority targets, especially when restocking occurs and security is lax. Thieves exploit this, hiding razors in pockets or bags. The fact that razors are part of the bigger “health and beauty” category, plus cosmetics, only makes them more appealing to opportunistic thieves as well as professional ones.
- Locked Displays: Store razors in alarmed, locked cases to prevent swipe thefts.
- Restocking Protocols: Maximize staff presence at deliveries to monitor vulnerable stock.
- Video Surveillance: Utilize cameras with real-time notification to detect shoplifting as it occurs.
- Loss Prevention Teams: Station trained individuals in high-risk areas during peak times.
To fight back, retailers are adding defenses on top of each other. Besides locked fixtures, 64% of retailers added loss prevention personnel between 2019-2023, focusing on high-risk areas. Video surveillance and live observation are also critical, apprehending thieves who evade physical barriers and keeping stores in the fray.
6. Baby Formula
The life-or-death quality of baby formula renders repeated stealing particularly problematic. A lucrative black market, quoted by the New York Post, compels organized crime to steal this life-sustaining product. Three individuals were arrested in Utah for shoplifting thousands of dollars’ worth of formula, illustrating how these thefts supply an underground illicit commerce chain.
The fact that the baby formula is non-perishable and in high demand makes it a desirable target. The stolen formula can be quickly sold by the thieves to unsuspecting parents at a discounted price, maximizing the harm beyond financial loss only. This aspect under the “children’s items” umbrella in crime statistics shows the profiteering over necessities.
- Aisle Monitoring: Install motion-sensing cameras in formula aisles for real-time alerting.
- Staff Training: Educate workers on recognizing patterns of organized crime, e.g., bulk items being taken.
- Secure Storage: Lock formula away in secure or limited-access areas to limit access.
- Community Alerts: Alert local police to theft patterns for faster response.
Grocers are enhancing security with high-tech monitoring and specialized staff. Video verification systems aid in the monitoring of formula aisles, and 64% of retailers added loss prevention roles between 2019 and 2023. These steps are designed to safeguard the product and the families that rely on it, combating a crime that runs at the very heart of community health.
7. Makeup
The extremely high price and small packaging of makeup make it heaven for a shoplifter, appealing to both a crime syndicate and common criminals. This kind of theft is common and can be seen in instances like those which took place at Glassboro, NJ, where two men swiped makeup at a CVS. College also sees students shoplifting cosmetics, reflecting the diversity of the perpetrators.
The ease by which makeup can be hidden from sight in bags or clothing, combined with the high resale value, is what makes it so beloved. As a product in the “health and beauty” category, makeup such as fragrances tends to be in huge demand as a target. The challenge facing retailers is to apprehend these speedy, spur-of-the-moment shoplifts in bustling store environments.
- EAS Tags: Add anti-shoplifting tags to expensive makeup items to trigger alarms.
- Staff Vigilance: Train staff to look out for concealment in densely populated aisles.
- Locked Cases: Store high-end cosmetics within locked displays to limit access.
- Inventory Audits: Regulate inventory at all times to identify and react to patterns of theft.
Merchants are fighting back with education and technology. 72% of 2023 retailers use EAS tags, which dissuade makeup theft, and associates are trained to look for suspicious behavior. These practices, combined with secured fixtures, are used to protect cosmetics and keep displays stocked for legitimate shoppers.
8. Alcoholic Beverages
Alcohol is a long-time favorite among shoplifters, from convenience stores to supermarkets, due to its extensive popularity. Stories of alcohol theft sweep the country, from South Carolina to New Hampshire, sustained by private consumption or resale. Both reasons make alcohol a nuisance for retailers.
Coming under the “food and beverage” category, alcohol’s high unit value and high turnover make it a bulk thief’s favorite. Stolen alcohol is sold by thieves in black market or illegal networks, availing of incessant demand. The ease of resale keeps alcohol on the list of top stolen items.
- Restricted Access: Store liquor behind counters or in locked cases to limit theft opportunity.
- Surveillance Systems: Employ cameras to monitor alcohol aisles at peak times.
- Security Presence: Post uniformed guards to discourage opportunistic thefts.
- Inventory Management: Keep track of stock very closely to find discrepancies immediately.
Retailers are fighting back with restricted access and surveillance. Many stores keep high-value liquor locked up behind counters, and 78% employ locking cases for high-end bottles. The presence of on-duty security, increased 75% of retailers in 2023, also discourages thieves and protects these profitable items.
9. Clothing
Clothing, especially name-brand clothing, is among the main targets of shoplifters in department stores and second-hand stores. A recent case at Plato’s Closet in Little Rock, where $3,000 worth of merchandise was stolen through a smashed window, shows how smaller retailers aren’t immune. Poor alarm systems leave stores vulnerable, as in this case.
The “apparel” type, like athletic and denim, is prized for resale and portability. Shoplifted clothing can easily be concealed, with thieves of both amateur and professional stripes viewing it as a low-risk target. The black market survives on such products, typically at discounted prices.
- Alarm Upgrades: Install advanced burglar alarms with perimeter protection.
- Video Verification: Use live video monitoring to cover areas of clothing.
- Locking Hooks: Secure high-priced clothing with anti-shoplifting cables or hooks.
- Security Patrols: Introduce staff visibility to clothing aisles during busy times.
Merchants are fighting back with stronger defenses. Improved alarm systems and video verification help to catch thieves in the act, and 69% of retailers installed locking devices for high-value apparel between 2019 and 2023. These steps tend to protect clothing and lock up stores for honest shoppers.
10. Meat
Even perishable items like meat are not safe from shoplifters’ eyes, tied in desperation or black-market activities. Vice recorded heroin addicts within city neighborhoods shoplifting meat beef and chicken to sell for cash to purchase drugs. Such quick turnover of stolen merchandise back into cash demonstrates how any desirable product is targeted.
Its categorization under the “food and beverage” category highlights its surprising popularity. Its resilience in demand and ability to sell informally, even on discount, make it profitable to robbers. Supermarkets are continually losing out as such items are stuffed into pockets or jackets.
- Aisle Surveillance: Implement cameras in meat aisles with real-time monitoring.
- Inventory Systems: Employ digital monitoring to quickly detect stock shortages.
- Security Staff: Increase foot patrols in perishables areas at high times of day.
- Community Reporting: Work with local police to share theft patterns and improve response.
Retailers are addressing this with improved surveillance and employee presence. Advanced cameras and inventory monitoring assist in catching theft early, while 76% of retailers indicated increased concern regarding organized crime in 2023. These measures help safeguard common items such as meat and maintain prices low for consumers.
