. Before 2020, rates of shoplifting had been increasing for six years, with larger increases in 2018 and 2019. From 2010 to 2019, the rate of shoplifting incidents jumped 39 per cent.
“ are improving their surveillance systems,” Cire said, explaining that technology is playing an increasing role in loss-prevention strategies. “They’re adding more ways of tracking what’s going on in the store.” Michelle Wasylyshen, national spokesperson for the Retail Council of Canada, cited escalating inflation, organized crime and a growing resale market for stolen goods as some of the factors contributing to an increase in shoplifting across all categories of merchandise.
While a security tag can potentially increase the cost of a product, Cire said there are still ways stores could minimize those costs. “Maybe you don’t add the tag to all the different meats, you only add it to some of them, or at least the most expensive ones,” he said. “You can also randomize, and just select a few units to add to.”