Consumer Shoplifters And The Cost Of Repeat Offenses

By Barbara Staib, NASP

Over the years, there has been different information circulated in the retail industry about the losses from consumer and nonprofessional shoplifters. However, our findings from the information gathered directly from the offenders themselves consistently show that consumer shoplifters are more costly than reported, and that this type of shoplifting is more damaging and far-reaching than is understood.

The following information was gathered from a large sampling of 15,000 consumer shoplifting offenders who were, for the most part, ordered by the court to complete one of NASP's educational programs by the court system as a condition of diversion, sentence, or probation. A smaller percentage of the offenders completed the program voluntarily or were referred to the program directly by the apprehending retailer.