A Division of the Shulman Center

Terrence Shulman
JD, LMSW, ACSW, CAAC, CPC
Founder of
The Shulman Center

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

• There are an estimated 27 million shoplifters in our nation today (approximately 1 in 11 Americans)

• Retailers lose $35 million a day to shoplifting — that’s over $13 billion/year!

• 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 48 times. They are turned over to the police 50% of the time.

• 3% 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 73% of non-professional shoplifters don't plan their thefts in advance.

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.

• 55% of adults who shoplift 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.

• Habitual shoplifters steal an average of 1.6 times per week.

  ---