Woman Stealing Clothes From Store

Shoplifting Rises During April School Vacation

Woman Stealing Clothes From Store

New England store owners lose billions of dollars annually in stolen merchandise. In Massachusetts alone, shrinkage due to shoplifting reached approximately one billion dollars last year. While the largest spike in shoplifting occurs during the holiday season, April is also a month in which shoplifting is more common, as youth are usually on spring break during this time.

The majority of shoplifting crimes are committed by people ages 35-54. However, approximately 25% of all shoplifters are under the age of 18. This means that your store needs to take extra precautions during the month of April, when teens are out of school and therefore have more opportunity to shop – and potentially shoplift.

If you want to protect your business from an increase in shoplifting, or if you’d like to work to eliminate instances of shoplifting, take a look at the following tips. These actionable pieces of advice can ensure that your business remains as profitable as possible this April and beyond.

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Protecting the New England Holiday Retail Industry

As the holiday retail season approaches, retailers and supermarket owners of all sizes in New England must defend themselves against theft. As a retailer, there are many steps you can take, including adding electronic surveillance systems throughout your store.

While the holiday season provides 34 percent of annual retail sales, it also accounts for 37 percent of yearly shrinkage, as a Forbes article notes. The biggest contributors to shrinkage are shoplifting and employee theft. Read more