Tis the season to be jolly – unless you are the victim of rampant shoplifting. It is so unfortunate that retailers are forced to view the holiday season as a mixed blessing. On the positive side, – yes they get more business. But the negative side is disheartening – shoplifting and crime. Retailers get ample opportunity to see an ugly side of human beings.

A new study estimates that U.S. retailers will lose $8.9 billion this holiday season to shoplifting, employee theft, and vendor and distribution losses. Think about that number – it is HUGE! As reported in www.standard.net.

For this, we all will pay. The revenue loss is expected to add about $98 to each family’s holiday shopping costs.

The estimated $3.8 billion loss that the report attributes to general shoplifting would be a 4 percent increase compared to last year.

Organized retail Crime

Why is that number ridiculously outrageous – because it is being perpetrated by organized retail crime!

This is sort of the 21st century development in shopliftings. The new trend is organized retail crime, which is very serious, where groups of people are stealing from retailers. They will go in and create a distraction in the store and clean out entire shelves or take entire racks of clothing.

These people are very clever. They know the retailer. They know how to essentially work around the system. This is a serious threat for retailers.

This is a sickening story. That number makes me cringe - $8.9 billion. I think we need to mandate more stop theft classes for youth as part of school curriculum.