Walgreens Store Bans Purses and Bags to Prevent Shoplifting—Will Others Follow?
By Kali Coleman of Best Life |
Retail theft has been on the rise.
Thieves have been targeting retailers in what many claim are large-scale organized retail crime (ORC) schemes. The National Retail Federation (NRF) recently reported that ORC had increased by 26.5 percent in 2021, resulting in nearly $100 billion in losses for retailers that year. In fact, ORC has now become "a primary driver of retail shrink," which is the loss of products from factors other than sales, according to the NRF.
"Unlike shoplifting events where an individual steals for personal consumption or use, there has been a dramatic increase across the nation in the number of large-scale, targeted thefts using methods of coordinated and planned attacks on retailers," the NRF explained. "The losses drive up costs for retailers and, in turn, prices for consumers. Items stolen run the gamut from low-cost, easily fenced goods like razor blades and laundry detergent to designer clothing and high-end liquor."
