Though shoplifting rates across Canada have risen since even before the COVID-19 pandemic, petty theft rates point towards a larger issue.
According to a recent study from LexisNexis, Canadian retail fraud has risen by 15 per cent in comparison to previous pandemic rates. While retail stores may panic about rising rates, it’s only an underlying result of a deeper problem.
All signs during the pandemic pointed to a dip as rates of theft of $5,000 or less had declined four per cent at the start of 2021, following an even bigger 19 per cent decline in 2020.
However, when restrictions began to be lifted, shoplifting rates surged.
The effect the COVID-19 pandemic had on employment rates, is universally known, with unemployment rates in Canada reaching a record 13.7 per cent — the highest it’s been since 1982. While the Canadian government attempted to ensure that its citizens were taken care of with its CERB payments, many people still struggled financially from job losses.
In many cases, COVID-19 simply revealed underlying cracks in our country’s foundations. Shoplifting simply highlights the problems in our economy.
Grocery prices surged during the beginning of the pandemic due to global food supply chain disruptions, right when thousands of Canadians suffered from job loss and unemployment.
Grocery prices rose by 5.7 per cent, the highest since 2011. With prices rising amid mass unemployment rates, it’s no surprise that many resorted to shoplifting to provide for their loved ones.
The Retail Council of Canada estimates that Canada’s businesses lose up to $5 billion annually due to shoplifting. If Canada wants to protect its businesses from theft, we must first combat and acknowledge poverty.
Without assistance from the government, we can simply expect businesses to continue to face the consequences of Canada’s negligence toward poverty.
In a Consultation with Canadians report, the Criminal Justice System, the Canadian government acknowledges poverty’s role in shoplifting and theft, stating that it will work to address root problems of crime including poverty, yet in the meantime, businesses continue to pay the price for the government’s inaction.
The latest Canadian Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for September was released on Oct. 20 and according to those numbers, prices rose 6.9 per cent over the prior year and 0.4 per cent over the previous month. As prices continue to rise, it’s only expected that shoplifting will as well.
Hopefully, alongside this expected rise comes a deeper understanding that the only solution is systemic change. One does not steal from an inherent addiction to crime, sometimes life leaves them no choice.