Retail theft is costing U.S. retailers more than $112 billion in 2023, and organized retail crime continues to swell even as prevention gets smarter. The numbers also reveal a sharper picture than most people expect, from the average $219 shoplifting haul in 2022 to how shrinkage breaks down by source and destination. Here are the statistics that connect the money, the patterns, and the real-world scale across stores, sectors, and countries.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, organized retail crime cost U.S. retailers $112.1 billion according to the National Retail Federation's National Retail Security Survey
- The average value of goods stolen per shoplifting incident in the U.S. was $219 in 2022 as reported by the National Retail Federation
- Organized retail crime losses reached $100 billion annually in the U.S. by 2021 estimates from the National Retail Federation
- In California, retail theft incidents increased 14% from 2021 to 2022 according to the California Statewide Retail Theft Report
- Shoplifting rates in New York City surged 22% in 2022 per NYPD CompStat
- Retail crime incidents in Los Angeles County rose 9% in 2022 per Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
- Shoplifting incidents in the U.S. rose by 27% from 2021 to 2022 per the National Retail Federation
- 36% of U.S. retailers reported a significant increase in shoplifting in 2023 according to Capital One Shopping and Hi-Tech Retail Report
- Retail theft accounted for 37% of all merchandise shrinkage in U.S. retail in 2022 per NRF survey
- 65% of shoplifters are repeat offenders according to the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention
- The median age of apprehended shoplifters in the U.S. is 36 years old per Jack L. Hayes International inventory reports
- Women account for 56% of shoplifting arrests in the U.S. based on FBI Uniform Crime Reporting data from 2021
- From 2019 to 2022, U.S. shoplifting arrests dropped 48% amid policy changes per Council on Criminal Justice
- U.S. shoplifting incidents per $100 of sales rose from 1.24 in 2021 to 1.62 in 2022 per NRF
- U.S. organized retail crime prosecutions increased 20% from 2020 to 2022 per U.S. Sentencing Commission
In 2023, organized retail crime and shrinkage cost U.S. retailers $112.1 billion, highlighting rising theft risks.
Related reading
01 · Category
Financial Costs26 stats
01
In 2023, organized retail crime cost U.S. retailers $112.1 billion according to the National Retail Federation's National Retail Security Survey
02
The average value of goods stolen per shoplifting incident in the U.S. was $219in 2022 as reported by the National Retail Federation
03
Organized retail crime losses reached $100 billion annually in the U.S. by 2021 estimates from the National Retail Federation
04
U.S. retailers lost $94.5 billion to shrinkage in 2021, with external theft comprising 36% per NRF
05
Global retail shrinkage due to theft was $134.4 billion in 2021 per National Retail Federation Global Retail Theft Barometer
06
Employee theft contributes 30% to U.S. retail shrinkage losses of $94 billion in 2021 per NRF
07
In the UK, retail theft cost £1.5 billion in 2022 according to British Retail Consortium Crime Survey
08
Retailers recovered only 23% of stolen merchandise value in 2022 according to Jack L. Hayes International
09
Average shoplifting haul value in Canada was CAD $200in 2022 per Retail Council of Canada
10
U.S. grocery stores lost $58 billion to theft in 2022 per National Grocers Association FMI report
11
UK shoplifting offenses reached 340,000 in 2022 per Home Office statistics
12
Jewelers lost $100 million to smash-and-grab thefts in 2022 per Jewelers' Security Alliance
13
Australia retail theft cost AUD $4.5 billion in 2022 per Australian Retailers Association
14
Convenience stores lost $10 billion to theft shrinkage in 2022 per NACS State of the Industry
15
France reported €4 billion in retail theft losses 2022 per CNCC study
16
Germany retail theft incidents hit 1.2 million in 2022 per Federal Crime Office BKA
17
Beauty product theft caused $1 billion losses in U.S. 2022 per Beauty Industry Group
18
Italy retail theft cost €3.7 billion in 2022 per Confesercenti report
19
U.S. pharmacies lost $5.8 billion to theft 2022 per NCPA DIG study
20
Spain shoplifting offenses 250,000 in 2022 per Ministry of Interior
21
U.S. dollar stores reported record theft in 2023 per Dollar General SEC filing
22
Netherlands retail theft €500 million loss 2022 per CBS Statistics
23
Electronics theft caused $3.5 billion U.S. losses 2022 per CEA report
24
Japan shoplifting cases 90,000 in 2022 down 10% YoY per National Police Agency
25
85% of retailers use CCTV but theft still up 15% 2023 per IHL Group
26
Sweden retail theft 100,000 cases 2022 per Brottsförebyggande rådet
Interpretation
Financial Costs Interpretation
If we pooled all the money vanishing from store shelves into one giant lost-and-found, we'd be looking for a vault containing a quarter of a trillion dollars, guarded by both strangers and staff, proving that the five-finger discount has become a global economy's most audacious loyalty program.
02 · Category
Geographic Distribution23 stats
01
In California, retail theft incidents increased 14% from 2021 to 2022 according to the California Statewide Retail Theft Report
02
Shoplifting rates in New York City surged 22% in 2022 per NYPD CompStat
03
Retail crime incidents in Los Angeles County rose 9% in 2022 per Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
04
Chicago saw a 35% increase in retail theft from 2021 to 2022 per Chicago Police Department data
05
Texas reported over 100,000 retail theft arrests in 2022 per Texas DPS Crime Records
06
Philadelphia retail theft complaints up 38% in 2022 per Philly Police
07
San Francisco retail theft arrests down 50% post-Prop 47 per SFPD data 2022
08
Florida saw 15% rise in retail theft 2021-2022 per FDLE Crime Report
09
Washington D.C. retail theft up 40% in 2022 per MPD Crime Stats
10
Portland OR retail theft incidents doubled from 2019 to 2022 per Portland Police Bureau
11
Seattle retail theft arrests fell 62% 2021-2022 per SPD data
12
Nevada Las Vegas strip retail theft up 25% 2022 per LVMPD
13
Boston MA retail theft rose 28% 2021-2022 per BPD stats
14
Denver CO theft from retail up 35% since 2019 per Denver PD
15
Atlanta GA retail theft incidents +42% 2022 per APD data
16
Minneapolis MN retail theft +55% post-2020 riots per MPD stats
17
Miami FL retail theft arrests +18% 2022 per Miami PD
18
Oakland CA retail theft crisis with 17,000 incidents 2022 per OPB
19
Detroit MI theft from stores +30% 2021-2023 per DPD
20
Houston TX retail theft +22% 2022 per HPD data
21
Baltimore MD retail theft +45% since 2020 per BPD stats
22
Phoenix AZ theft incidents +20% 2022 per Phoenix PD
23
Sacramento CA retail theft +12% 2022 per Sac PD
Interpretation
Geographic Distribution Interpretation
While the rest of the nation's shoplifters seemed to be treating the post-pandemic economy as an all-you-can-steal buffet, San Francisco and Seattle conducted their own grand social experiment, proving that when you stop arresting people for theft, the reported arrests will, in a twist that surprises only policymakers, plummet while the crime itself flourishes elsewhere with grim consistency.
03 · Category
Incidence and Frequency15 stats
01
Shoplifting incidents in the U.S. rose by 27% from 2021 to 2022 per the National Retail Federation
02
36% of U.S. retailers reported a significant increase in shoplifting in 2023 according to Capital One Shopping and Hi-Tech Retail Report
03
Retail theft accounted for 37% of all merchandise shrinkage in U.S. retail in 2022 per NRF survey
04
U.S. retail theft frequency per store increased 26% year-over-year in 2022 according to NRF
05
72% of retailers experienced organized retail crime in 2023 up from 65% in 2022 per NRF
06
In 2023, 89% of U.S. retailers reported employee theft incidents per Capital One study
07
Organized retail crime affects 70% of U.S. retail sectors per 2023 NRF survey
08
Drug stores reported 2x increase in theft incidents 2020-2023 per NCPA data
09
U.S. apparel retailers saw theft increase 30% in 2023 per NRF sector report
10
81% of retailers plan to increase security spending due to theft in 2024 per NRF
11
91% of large U.S. retailers faced ORC in past year per 2023 Deloitte survey
12
Sporting goods stores saw 40% theft increase 2022 per NRF Big Show data
13
75% of U.S. retailers cite theft as top business threat 2024 per NRF survey
14
U.S. big box retailers lost $25 billion to ORC 2023 per Helios Group
15
Alcohol theft losses $2 billion U.S. 2022 per DISCUS industry report
Interpretation
Incidence and Frequency Interpretation
It appears that shoplifting has become America’s most popular, and least discreet, loyalty program, leaving retailers to foot a bill that’s spiraling from a petty crime into a serious, organized, and alarmingly costly crisis.
More related reading
04 · Category
Perpetrator Demographics24 stats
01
65% of shoplifters are repeat offenders according to the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention
02
The median age of apprehended shoplifters in the U.S. is 36 years old per Jack L. Hayes International inventory reports
03
Women account for 56% of shoplifting arrests in the U.S. based on FBI Uniform Crime Reporting data from 2021
04
30% of U.S. shoplifters are under 21 years old according to Shoplifters Anonymous data
05
Males represent 44% of shoplifting convictions in the U.S. per Bureau of Justice Statistics 2020
06
52% of apprehended shoplifters in U.S. retail are professionals or organized per Hayes International
07
25% of U.S. shoplifters are juveniles under 18 per National Conference of Shoplifting Courts
08
60% of shoplifters act under the influence of drugs per U.S. Department of Justice studies
09
40% of U.S. retail theft involves groups of 2 or more per Hayes International 2023
10
15% of shoplifters are homeless individuals per urban retail studies by Urban Institute
11
35% of apprehended shoplifters have prior mental health diagnoses per APA retail theft study
12
28% of U.S. shoplifters are unemployed per Bureau of Justice Statistics NCVS 2021
13
50% of shoplifters steal for personal use, 27% for resale per Jack Hayes surveys
14
62% of female shoplifters steal clothing items per gender-specific retail audits
15
20% of shoplifters are tourists in major cities per urban police reports
16
45% of apprehended shoplifters test positive for opioids per NIJ study 2022
17
33% of shoplifters have kleptomania diagnosis per psychiatric retail theft research
18
55% of organized retail thieves are under 30 per FBI task force reports
19
70% of shoplifters steal food items per grocery sector audits
20
48% of shoplifters are first-time offenders per state court data aggregates
21
22% of shoplifters motivated by addiction per DOJ offender surveys
22
65% of repeat shoplifters target high-value items per retail LP analytics
23
38% of shoplifters are minorities overrepresented per FBI arrest data 2021
24
75% of organized groups include juveniles per multi-agency task forces
Interpretation
Perpetrator Demographics Interpretation
The statistics paint a portrait of retail theft not as a simple teenage lark, but as a complex adult crisis where the typical offender is a 36-year-old woman, more likely a professional repeat offender than a first-timer, often stealing essentials like food or clothing under the influence of addiction, with a surprising number of organized groups recruiting the young.
05 · Category
Temporal Trends21 stats
01
From 2019 to 2022, U.S. shoplifting arrests dropped 48% amid policy changes per Council on Criminal Justice
02
U.S. shoplifting incidents per $100of sales rose from 1.24 in 2021 to 1.62 in 2022 per NRF
03
U.S. organized retail crime prosecutions increased 20% from 2020 to 2022 per U.S. Sentencing Commission
04
From 2020 to 2023, U.S. retail theft claims to insurers rose 15% annually per Insurance Information Institute
05
Retail shrinkage rate in U.S. hit 1.6% of sales in 2022 up from 1.3% in 2021 per NRF
06
Post-COVID, U.S. shoplifting up 20% from pre-pandemic levels per 2023 CCJ analysis
07
U.S. retail theft per capita highest in states with lax prosecution per 2023 Heritage Foundation report
08
From 2018 to 2023, U.S. ORC felony cases up 300% per DOJ Organized Retail Theft Initiative
09
Global shoplifting rates declined 5% post-2020 but ORC up 15% per NRF Global Barometer 2023
10
U.S. retail theft insurance premiums rose 25% 2021-2023 per AM Best reports
11
Pandemic-era U.S. theft spike persisted into 2023 with +10% YoY per CCJ 50-city data
12
U.S. smash-and-grab incidents tripled 2021-2023 per JSA Crime Index
13
E-commerce related porch theft linked to retail crime up 50% 2020-2023 per Security.org
14
U.S. retail theft prosecutions down 30% since 2019 per PPIC California analysis
15
Global retail theft barometer shows 7% rise 2017-2022 excluding pandemic per NRF
16
AI security reduced theft by 20% in pilot stores 2023 per RetailNext study
17
U.S. theft shrinkage as % of sales peaked at 1.65% in 2023 per NRF preliminary
18
Cyber-enabled retail theft (buy-online-pickup-theft) up 40% 2022-2023 per IARD
19
Return fraud tied to retail theft cost $101 billion U.S. 2023 per NRF
20
U.S. holiday season theft spikes 25% annually per NRF Black Friday report
21
Blockchain tracking cut theft recovery time 50% in 2023 pilots per IBM Retail
Interpretation
Temporal Trends Interpretation
While arrests plummeted like a polite shopper's standards, the actual cost of retail theft has soared, proving that when stores stop prosecuting the grab-and-go artists, the only thing shrinking is their own bottom line.
Reference
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APA
Lars Eriksen. (2026, February 13). Retail Theft Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/retail-theft-statistics
MLA
Lars Eriksen. "Retail Theft Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/retail-theft-statistics.
Chicago
Lars Eriksen. 2026. "Retail Theft Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/retail-theft-statistics.
Sources & references
74 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level