Walmart. This retail giant has a strong foothold in nearly every medium-sized city across the United States. This large store operates more than 10,500 stores in the United States and other regions.
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In 2022, Walmart managed to earn $611.3 billion in revenue (up from $572.8 billion in 2021). Estimated sales per employee for an estimated 2.3 million employees worldwide (approximately 1.6 million in the United States alone).
Most commonly shoplifted items at Walmart in Michigan
But despite its massive growth, Walmart, like many large and small retailers, has taken a big hit in one category. Stolen goods. Shoplifting has increased even more since retailers (and many others, such as Walmart) have eliminated most cashier positions and opted to have customers scan and bag their groceries. (I hate this practice and have little sympathy for retailers who lose money as a result).
According to retail consultant Strategy Resource Group, most retailers lose between 2 and 3 percent annually due to theft. By doing the math, Walmart would lose between $12 billion and $18 billion to shoplifters.
This is an incredible amount of product that completely ignores checkout counters (manned or unmanned) and takes a long time to get to your door. But how? How can people who don’t want to part with their cash pocket nearly $18 billion in goods?
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Advances in technology have made our lives easier and technology has become smaller (thus making it easier to carry expensive items in our pockets). Our society’s need to make an impression also influences someone’s willingness to steal a product. Organized crime also plays a large role in shoplifting rings, which employ criminals to target high-demand products for sale on the street.
The 10 most commonly stolen items from Walmart in Michigan
Gallery credit: Scott Clow