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One big number: $94.5 billion losses from organized retail theft

While overblown, the retail theft problem still exists. Besides Walgreens, rival drugstore chain CVS, retailer Walmart, and home goods store Home Depot have all expressed concerns about robberies. Some have even started locking items up, much to the chagrin of customers.

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In its 2022 National Retail Security Survey, the National Retail Federation (NRF) found that retail shrink represents $94.5 billion in losses, up from $90.8 billion in 2020. Incidents of organized retail crime jumped up 26.5% in 2021 compared to the year prior. And not only does it affect inventory, some of these incidents also had an element of violence and aggression that spooked retail workers and customers alike.

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