31-10-2007
Cost of shoplifting to retailers increases from 2006
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A new report has highlighted the real and growing cost of shoplifting to British retailers.
According to the findings of a report by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), the value of stolen goods - in instances where the shoplifter was prosecuted - have increased by a total of eight per cent since last year.
In 2006, the total value of stolen goods reached £205 million, reports the BBC.
"It's clear the current approach is not working. The government and law enforcers must stop believing retail crime is victimless and committed by harmless petty criminals," said Kevin Hawkins, director general of the BRC.
"Most shop thieves are driven by drug addiction," he added.
The BRC believes that despite the eight per cent increase in the value of stolen goods, when all thefts are taken into consideration, the actual figure may be between three and four times greater.
Also known as commercial burglary, a number of colloquiums exist for the practice of shoplifting, including the five-finger discount - popular in the US and Australia - and chaving, a term popular in the UK.