Some facts about shoplifters...
(Statistics from National Association for Shoplifting Prevention)

• There are an estimated 25 million shoplifters in our nation today (approximately 1 in 11 Americans)
• Retailers lose $25 million a day to shoplifting.
• There is no profile of a typical shoplifter. A shoplifter can be anyone.

Shoplifters steal in all types of stores...

69% say they steal in department stores
63% in supermarkets
57% specialty shops
54% convenience stores
47% drug stores,
27% all other type stores

• Contrary to popular belief, men and women shoplift equally as often.
• About 25% of shoplifters apprehended are juveniles, 75% adults.
• Shoplifters say they are caught an average of only once every 49 times. They are turned over to the police 50% of the time.
• A small percentage of shoplifters are "professionals" who steal solely for resale or profit as a business. These include drug addicts who steal to feed their habit, hardened professionals who steal as a lifestyle, and international shoplifting gangs who steal for profit as a business.
• The vast majority of shoplifters are non-professionals who steal, not out of financial need or greed, but as a response to social and personal pressures in their life.
• Approximately 70% of non-professional shoplifters don't plan their thefts in advance. 30% do.

Shoplifters often buy some merchandise and steal other merchandise:

59% frequently
35% sometimes
6% never

Shoplifters classified as "first offenders" admit to stealing from retail stores at the following frequency:

13% say they steal daily or several times/day
57% say they steal monthly or more often
27% say they steal weekly or more often
43% say they steal less than monthly

• The excitement generated from "getting away with it" produces a chemical reaction resulting in what shoplifters describe as an incredible "high" feeling. Many shoplifters will tell you that this high is their "true reward", rather than the merchandise itself.
• Drug addicts who have become addicted to shoplifting describe shoplifting as equally addicting as drugs.
• 89% of kids say they know other kids who shoplift.
• 66% say they hang out with those kids.
• 1 in 5 adults say they started shoplifting in their teens.
• 57% of adults and 33% of juveniles say it is hard for them to stop shoplifting, even after getting caught.
• Most non-professional shoplifters don't commit other types of crimes. They'll never steal an ashtray from your house and will return to you a $20 bill you may have dropped. Their criminal activity is restricted to shoplifting and therefore, any rehabilitation program should be offense-specific for this crime.

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