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SHOPLIFTING FOR CHRISTMAS 2008 >>

NEW FIGURES FROM CENTRE FOR RETAIL RESEARCH

By Professor Joshua Bamfield, Director, Centre for Retail Research Nottingham

The Centre for Retail Research estimates that in the six weeks from mid-November to end-December thieves will steal £768 million from retailers in Britain and €4821 million from Western Europe as a whole. Christmas is the peak of the shoplifting season.

Christmas losses are equivalent to a tax upon spending of £12.60 per person in the UK (or £31.40 per family) and €11.86 per head in Western Europe. Ireland tops the league for the costs of Christmas shoplifting (per head), followed by Holland, Sweden and the UK. We are fourth.

The 'credit crunch' or recession will have an effect, but will only increase theft by between 4%-9%. Important, but let's not exaggerate the impact! Financial problems may make more people prepared carry out 'a bit of shoplifting' themselves or buy stolen goods.

55.4% of shoplifters are males, but females stole an average of £94.48 compared to the male average of £82.28.

We expect retailers and the police to catch 99,000 shoplifters this Christmas, two-thirds of them will be under 30 years.

Christmas patterns of shoplifting mimicked orthodox Christmas shopping, highly-promoted lines suffered particularly heavily from theft.

The most stolen items are likely to be popular Christmas things like Scotch Whisky, Jack Daniels, vodka, and brandy; wii Fit; iPODs; 'Mamma Mia' and 'High School Confidential III' DVDs; books like 'Tales of Beedle the Bard' and Clarkson; and, regrettably 'Gears of War' and 'Warcraft: Wrath of Lich King'. Thefts of Bayko, Meccano and Hornby train sets are expected to be low.

Spirits, woman's clothing, lingerie, cosmetics, perfumes, toiletries, aftershave, sportswear, DVDs, games, games consoles, fashion accessories, menswear, satnav, and razors/razor blades will also be stolen extensively.

Shoplifting for Christmas is research exclusively produced by the Centre for Retail Research. If you use it, please give proper attribution.

There is a 7 page report which gives further information.

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