Company Shrink Stats & Trends

In the Summer 2021 (Vol. 36 No. 3) issue of The Hayes Report newsletter we provided statistics on our 33^rd Annual Retail Theft Survey which reported on over 180,000 apprehensions taking place in just 22 large U.S. retail companies in 2020*. These companies represented 18,594 stores with combined 2020 annual sales of over $500 billion. (* 2020 results impacted by store closures during Covid-19 pandemic.)

Below are some additional company total statistics from that survey.

Shrink Trend 2020:

• 41.0% (09 of 22 retailers) had an increase in company shrink.
• 54.5% (12 of 22 retailers) had a decrease in company shrink.
• 04.5% (01 of 22 retailers) had no change in company shrink.

Shoplifting Apprehensions 2020:

• 18.2% (04 of 22 retailers) had an increase in apprehensions.
• 63.6% (14 of 22 retailers) had a decrease in apprehensions.
• 18.2% (04 of 22 retailers) had no change in apprehensions.

Shoplifting Apprehension Recovery Dollars 2020:

• 18.2% (04 of 22 retailers) had an increase in SL recovery dollars.
• 63.6% (14 of 22 retailers) had a decrease in SL recovery dollars.
• 18.2% (04 of 22 retailers) had no change in SL recovery dollars.

Shoplifting Recoveries Without an Apprehension 2020:

• 53.3% (08 of 15 retailers) had an increase in recovery dollars.
• 46.7% (07 of 15 retailers) had a decrease in recovery dollars.

(Note: Only 15 participants reported shoplifting recoveries without an apprehension in 2020.)

Dishonest Employee Apprehensions 2020:

• 13.6% (03 of 22 retailers) had an increase in apprehensions.
• 86.4% (19 of 22 retailers) had a decrease in apprehensions.

Dishonest Employee Apprehension Recovery Dollars 2020:

• 18.2% (04 of 22 retailers) had an increase in DE recovery dollars. 
• 81.8% (18 of 22 retailers) had a decrease in DE recovery dollars.

Essential Retailers

• 67% had an increase in company shrink.
• 50% had an increase in shoplifter apprehensions.
• 50% had an increase in employee theft apprehensions.
• 50% had an increase in shoplifting recover dollars.
• 33% had an increase in DE recovery dollars.

(Note: Statistics for our 33^rd Annual Retail Theft Survey can be found on our website at:

There is also a downloadable and printable PDF version of the survey which contains some thoughts behind the numbers.)  $