The annual National Retail Security Survey, now in its 26th year, is an annual survey among retail loss prevention professionals, covering inventory shrink, employee integrity, external retail crime and more. This report serves the retail and solution provider communities, our law enforcement partners and helps inform policymakers and the media as well.
Key findings
Two-thirds of LP budgets are flat or declining and over half expect staff sizes to remain flat. The average inventory shrink rate has increased to 1.44 percent.
Inventory shrink includes:
- Shoplifting/external (including ORC) = 36.5 percent
- Employee theft/internal = 30 percent
- Administrative and paperwork error = 21.3 percent
- Vendor fraud or error = 5.4 percent
- Unknown loss = 6.8 percent
The 2017 NRSS, sponsored by The Retail Equation, is the result of NRF’s strategic partnership with Dr. Richard Hollinger of the University of Florida.