Retail theft in the United States has reached an alarming epidemic level, amounting to $94 billion, according to the National Retail Federation. The overall surge in shoplifting represents a staggering 90 percent increase since 2018.

Now, many shoplifters claim their actions are justified by claiming it’s done to feed either themselves or family members, a notion reinforced by the progressive media.

However, much of America’s shoplifting pandemic was not thwarted by economics, but by organized theft that takes advantage of a lax criminal justice system.

The US pours over $185 billion into social safety nets, such as food stamps and other nutritional welfare programs. This has not stopped increases in retail theft over the past few decades, which far supersedes the current economic condition of the US.

Retailers claim the issue of retail theft gained momentum approximately ten years ago when many states started decriminalizing low-level shoplifting offenses.

This led to an increase in the minimum value of stolen goods required for prosecutors to pursue felony charges.

The excess of shoplifting has decimated job and business growth, forcing many companies to leave heavily crime-ridden areas in blue states.

Walmart recently announced the closure of its sole store in Portland, Oregon, a city facing disorder issues, along with four other stores in crime-ridden areas of Chicago.

Whereas Home Depot has now acknowledged that shoplifting poses a significant threat to the company’s profitability, stating the nation has a serious retail theft problem.

Shoplifting itself is now sophisticated industry with assigned tasks and roles. A significant portion of the merchandise taken by shoplifters, commonly known as boosters, is now sold through online platforms, making it challenging to identify or trace them.

The illicit industry also involves cleaners, who remove security devices from stolen goods or repackage them, as well as money launderers who handle the transactions.