Shrinkage on the increase

The cost to retailers worldwide of the shrinkage recorded between July 2008 and June 2009 was around € 84.165 bn. This amounts to 1.43 per cent of sales (+5.9 per cent on the previous year). These results emerge from the third Global Retail Theft Barometer, a survey on the costs and causes of shrinkage and criminality in global retailing. Shoplifting accounts for the greatest proportion of shrinkage: 42.5 per cent is carried out by customers and 35.5 per cent of goods are taken by dishonest employees. Responsibility for the remainder lies with suppliers (5.6 per cent) and internal shortcomings (16.4 per cent). The report mentions increased theft resulting from the recession and a reduction in investment in anti-theft measures as the causes behind the increasing level of shrinkage.