Shrink, comprised of shoplifting, employee or supplier fraud, and administrative errors, rose in the U.S. from 1.28 percent of sales in 2013-2014 to 1.97 percent during 2014-2015, according to responses from common retail respondents who participated in Global Retail Theft Barometer surveys both years.

The U.S. Commerce Department reported total retail sales in 2011 were $4.7 trillion, an 8 percent increase over 2010 total retail sales. The retail industry’s sheer size presents a big target for internal and external criminal activity, creating a major issue for retailers — to the tune of $119 billion in shrinkage in 2011, up 6.6 percent since 2010.