Theft, fraud and losses from other retail “shrink” totaled $50.6 billion in 2018, up from $46.8 billion the year before as industry security executives said there is a growing overlap between loss prevention and cybersecurity efforts.
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.