While one might initially expect an increase in shoplifting to be a sign that more people are facing dire financial straits, there are those who believe the recent uptick in retail theft could actually be a hint that the economy is improving.
The National Retail Federation recently announced that losses from retail theft totaled $37.1 billion in 2010, up from $33.5 billion in 2009. How could this increase hint at good things to come?
Well, a good chunk of retail theft is done by employees — like the Office Depot manager accused of stealing millions of dollars in supplies — and when the economy bottomed out a few years back, many retail workers put a priority on keeping their jobs over their unofficial five-finger employee discounts.
6 comments:
has anyone else noticed that the media is trying to put every little spin they can on these stories?
"Increase In Shoplifting May Be Sign of Economic Recovery",
"increased urination May Be Sign of Economic Recovery"
"increase in lemmings May Be Sign of Economic Recovery"
"decrease of plastic spoons and forks May Be Sign of Economic Recovery"
we are in a depression. i think the media is still in denial though. anything to make odumbo look like hes winning!
Most shoplifters weren't stealing basic needs stuff anyway. Shoplifting is shoplifting, good times or bad. It's not an indicator of anything except that some people either like to steal of have a mental illness.
This story makes no sense what so ever. People are stealing more often so they must have more money? And wouldnt it make more sense to say that employees are stealing more often because they don't have money to pay for the goods?
You guys do realize that most news is about entertainment these days, not about informing the public? This goes for most outlets and all political affiliations.
@8:29 I couldn't agree more...(my dog just pooped in the backyard instead of the frontyard, it must be a sign of economic recovery)..how dumb do the people writing this crap think the public really is? Granted, there are stupid people everywhere but, c'mon! What a joke this so-called "news" is. Like 8:51 already pointed out, shoplifting isn't an indication of anything regarding economic growth!
The only thing missing from the story is.
Econimist surprised by the rise in shoplifting.
Sort of like what we've heard every week for the last 2-1/2 years.
"Econimists surprised by the drop in home sales...economists surprised by the reduction in consumer spending...econimists surprised by the increase in the unemployed...
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