New ranking reveals the states with the highest retail theft rates

• Washington is the state with the highest retail theft rates, with 3,510 cases per 100,000 businesses
• Surprisingly, New York rank among the safest states for business owners in terms of commercial burglaries
• Florida saw the least reported number of burglaries with only 127 cases per 100,000 businesses

Retailers in the U.S. lost an estimated $121.6 billion to retail theft in 2023 alone. This figure is expected to rise further, reaching $150 billion by 2026. Business owners in the United States keep facing challenges due to crime.

While this issue is prevalent nationwide, some states have higher rates than others. According to a recent study, Washington state reported the highest number of complaints related to this type of crime.

The study was conducted by researchers at Storeganise, a self storage software company, who analyzed the latest crime data in the US to determine the states that experience the most retail theft.

They counted burglaries in places like convenience stores, department stores, shopping malls, specialty stores, liquor stores, gas stations, and others. The data was then calculated per 100,000 businesses to create a final ranking.

Washington business owners don’t seem to catch a break, as the state took the top spot on the list with 3510.66 retail theft cases per 100,000 businesses.

New Mexico also experienced a high rate of retail theft. The state came in second on the list with 3419.08 cases per 100,000 businesses.

Nevada is third on the list, with 3364.58 shoplifting cases per 100,000 businesses.

While lower than the top three states, Oregon’s retail theft rates reached 1846.21 per 100,000 businesses, placing the state fourth.

Oklahoma ranked fifth on the list of states with the highest rates of retail theft, reporting 1,811.42 cases per 100,000 businesses.

Texas came in sixth place with 1,771.59 retail theft cases per 100,000 businesses, just behind Oklahoma.

Next on the list is Colorado with 1702.14 shoplifting cases per 100,000 businesses.

Hawaii is in eighth place. The state experienced a retail theft rate of 1,602.57 cases per 100,000 businesses.

The retail theft rate in Tennessee was 1,534.92 cases per 100,000 businesses, ranking ninth in the country.

Arkansas rounded out the top ten with 1,493.42 retail theft cases per 100,000 businesses.

States with the least commercial burglaries

Florida has the lowest rate of reported retail theft in the United States, with only 126.22 cases per 100,000 residents.

New York had the second-fewest retail theft cases with 171.64 per 100,000 residents, while New Hampshire is third with 217.60 per 100,00 residents.

Miles Davison, a spokesperson from Storeganise, commented on the findings:

“Businesses across the country are facing increasing challenges from burglaries. It’s crucial to support business owners and ensure their safety, as well as the safety of their employees.

In Florida, shoplifting incidents have reportedly dropped by 30% since 2019, which might be reflected on this study. This unexpected trend is a positive sign for businesses in the state but it doesn’t mean the state is entirely safe.

Despite the decrease in shoplifting, other forms of property crime, such as burglaries and thefts, may still be on the rise. It’s important for businesses to remain vigilant and implement effective security measures.”

Full list of states with the most shop burglaries:

Methodology

To find the state with the highest commercial burglary rate, the study examined recent crime data on burglaries in various U.S. businesses. They counted burglaries in places like convenience stores, department stores, shopping malls, specialty stores, liquor stores, gas stations, and others. The data was then calculated per 100,000 businesses to create a final ranking.

Source

Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime Data Explorer

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Author: David Keech

David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]