Retail crime is on the rise and getting worse, according to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) National Retail Security Survey 2022. The study also found that violence and aggression associated with retail crime is on the rise.

NRF surveyed retail loss prevention and security executives about risks, threats and vulnerabilities to their company and the retail industry as a whole.

This year’s study found that, similar to the last five years, the average shrink rate in 2021 was 1.4 percent. When taken as a percentage of total retail sales in 2021, that shrink represents $94.5 billion in losses, up from $90.8 billion in 2020. Retailers on average saw a 26.5 percent increase in organized retail crime incidents in 2021, while eight in 10 retailers surveyed report that the violence and aggression associated with organized retail crime increased in the past year.

Retailers are devoting resources to prevent the victimization of their employees and guests. According to the survey, they are boosting their budgets for loss prevention and technology, and 52.4 percent are increasing budgets specifically for capital and equipment.

Download the survey here.