The 5 Most Commonly Shoplifted Items and Why! (2024)

FAQs

The 5 Most Commonly Shoplifted Items and Why!? ›

The five most commonly shoplifted items are clothing and fashion accessories, electronics, cosmetics and beauty products, liquor, meat and seafood. These items are popular among shoplifters because they are expensive, easy to conceal, and have a high resale value.

The products most commonly stolen from supermarkets

The products most frequently stolen from supermarkets include foodstuffs, hygiene products, cosmetics and fashion accessories: cheese ; meat and charcuterie.

Concealment. This is the most common and intuitive strategy. The shoplifter identifies which item he or she wishes to steal, removes it from a shelf or display, and places it inside a shopping bag, back-pack, pocket, or other similar place.

Packaged meat is the most shoplifted item in America - true also at Walmart locations. Other popular stole items include baby food, deli food, alcohol, and noodle packets.

For adults, it was more likely due to a material want and a lack of funds. Potdar said some who were excluded from certain social classes might also shoplift in order to obtain items such as branded clothes that were associated with that group. The cost of living crisis had also contributed to shoplifting, he said.

Most stores these days have surveillance cameras to track and record the behavior of shoplifters. Shoplifters don't know if someone is watching from a distance possibly using multiple cameras, high-powered binoculars, and recording their criminal acts.

Shoplifters come in all sizes and walks of life. For example, contrary to widespread opinion, people in the 35-54 age range are most commonly caught shoplifting! Not the stereotypical angsty teen with a backpack.

Addictive Compulsive Shoplifting

The most common characteristic of shoplifters is those defined as “addictive compulsive.” These individuals usually feel a rush or high of sorts when they steal something for the first time and then continue to get that feeling after every theft.

A growing number of stores also discourage their staffs from stopping the thieves. More than 41% of companies in the NRF survey said no employees in their stores are allowed to stop or apprehend shoplifters. The reason for this is usually a fear of the violence and liability that could come from such confrontations.

Shoplifters may work alone or in groups. While it's impossible to give an infallible rule of thumb, experience has shown that juveniles and professionals tend to work in groups, while the impulse shoplifter is a loner.

Which item is being stolen the most? ›

Cosmetics. Cosmetics are one of the easiest products to shoplift with their compact designs and lack of safety measures to protect them. Things like lipstick and mascara are easy to take from the shelves and pockets without much notice compared to larger or more expensive items.

Cheese, after all, is among the world's most frequently shoplifted food items. Back in 2011, in fact, Time proclaimed it the "most stolen food on Earth," with nearly four percent of cheese inventory worldwide nicked each year.

To fill the void. Apparently, shoplifting can be a fun activity that gives a thrill, or a sense of accomplishment or control, kind of like figuring out a puzzle or doing your favourite hobby. When humans do something and it makes us feel good, we tend to do it again, says Eisenbarth.

Shoplifting correlates heavily with age. The Office of Justice Programs found that about 67% of shoplifters are under the age of 30 with about 32% of those being teenagers or younger.

How do you detect a shoplifter? The best way to detect a shoplifter is to use a facial recognition system; this way, your store's security team can be notified when a known thief has entered the store. Prevention is key!

It's not just Target and Walmart. Walgreens (WBA) has had a terrible go of it with shoplifting, with some locations chaining their frozen food sections shut. One of the most shoplifted stores in the country is the Walgreens at 5280 Geary Blvd.

First, baby formula regularly appears on lists of the most shoplifted goods at supermarkets. Because it is expensive and occasionally prone to shortages, there exists a liquid, active black market supplied by sophisticated underground networks for baby formula.

Cosmetics. Cosmetics are one of the easiest products to shoplift with their compact designs and lack of safety measures to protect them. Things like lipstick and mascara are easy to take from the shelves and pockets without much notice compared to larger or more expensive items.