How shoplifting has surged around the world as consumers return to physical shopping
- A post-pandemic return to physical shopping, more self-service tills and high living costs have led to a recent surge in shoplifting in Asia, the US and Europe
- Experts say this is down to lenience and a decreasing stigma surrounding theft, driven by groups on Tumblr and other platforms. But shops are fighting back
Retail crime has rocketed in countries around the globe, where the return of physical shopping, rampant inflation and the trend towards self-service tills is stoking a shoplifting epidemic.
Figures from the UK’s Office of National Statistics showed that shoplifting rose by 22 per cent year-on-year during the year to September 2022. Ten per cent of Americans – over 30 million people – shoplift with some degree of regularity, according to the Shulman Centre, which tracks compulsive theft, spending and hoarding.
In Singapore about 3,200 shoplifting cases were logged in 2022 – 600 more than in 2021. Hong Kong reported 1,207 cases of shoplifting – a rise of 35 per cent – in the first two months of this year.
“Like never before, it’s argued that it’s OK to steal because there is no longer a penalty or social stigma attached to being a thief,” security expert Chris McGoey says.
Part of this comes down to online discourse. Social media platform Tumblr has an active shoplifting community that uses tags and text speak to share shoplifting tactics.