By Matthew Holloway |

The National Retail Federation (NRF), in partnership with the Loss Prevention Research Council, reported that nationwide shoplifting has increased by an astronomical 93% when compared to 2019 figures. The incidence of shoplifting is up 26% over 2023 numbers. According to the NRF’s, “Impact of Retail Theft & Violence 2024,” retailers participating in the study logged 177 shoplifting incidents per day in 2023. On some days, that number would spike to over 1,000. In addition, 73% of the retail outlets surveyed warned that shoplifters are acting with significantly increased violence and aggression than in 2019.

David Johnston, NRF vice president of asset protection and retail operations, told FOX Business, “This isn’t what we were used to. This isn’t the shoplifting I was apprehending 30 years ago. These are people who are shoplifting because they know when they have an outlet to sell this merchandise to.”

Referring to the onset of organized retail shoplifting groups that resell stolen goods, he said, “Not every shoplifter is going out there and selling their stolen goods online or at a flea market. They’re selling them in larger mass quantities to these local, regional or transnational organizations who are helping to feed the system.”

In Arizona, the opposite seems to be true. Shoplifting is down according to Department of Public Safety statistics from 41,519 incidents in 2019 to 34,587 in 2023, a decrease of approximately 17% with incomplete data for 2024 showing just 29,832 incidents. Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell told Fox 10 that in 2023, her office received approximately 600 submittals for the charge of organized retail theft. Mitchell warned at the time that the number was increasing.

“Arizona, specifically Maricopa County, will not tolerate this type of offense that is driving retailers to close stores, to hurt the communities that the stores are located in, and driving people out of business,” Mitchell told the outlet.

The NRF report shows that retailers who are capable of tracking organized retail theft saw a 57% increase on average in these incidents from 2022 to 2023. The organization is advocating for the passage of the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, which would increase federal level coordination with state and local level law enforcement.

Matthew Holloway is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.