Pop into a drugstore to grab some razors or a new mascara, and you are likely to find those items trapped behind security glass. There you stand, pressing the call-for-help button and waiting for a cashier to unlock the case. But some research suggests the shoplifting problem these lockups combat is overblown.Â
The Council on Criminal Justice, a nonpartisan research organization, tracked shoplifting trends in 24 cities from 2019 to the middle of 2023 and found that rates decreased in more than two-thirds of the cities over that time, said the Los Angeles Times. However, in 2022, "nearly 70% of retailers reported a rise in organized retail crime," which contributed to "theft and losses of as much as $69 billion a year," said Forbes, citing statistics from the Retail Industry Leaders Association and the Buy Safe America Coalition.Â
Why is there a discrepancy between the two reports? Retail theft is notoriously difficult to track. "The true severity and scope of the problem" remains a mystery, said the Times.Â
New products are being born of the apparent need to stop the rise in theft. Security solutions company InVue has seen sales for its smart locks surge 86% year-to-date. Another tool, Freedom Case, allows customers to unlock products using their cellphones or a store loyalty card, which is reportedly being tested by 26 retailers already, said Joe Budano, the CEO of developer Indyme, to CNN. |