I used to work for a Dept. store chain where 2-3% shrink was considered normal and acceptable. This is a store which did 2 million on each sale day between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Can you imagine losing 40-60k in revenue in one day? At 2 billion a year that's 20-30 million a year.

How easy is it to steal? One day, some guy walked into the housewares department and picked up a $300 Kitchenaid mixer and took it to the cashier. He said he wanted to return it for cash. Of course he had no receipt. The cashier was forced by company policy to issue him a voucher. The reason being that lawsuits are far too expensive just in case you're wrong.

This guy, if he were smart enough, could dig through garbage cans and obtain receipts. He would then go to stores with the receipts and obtain "refunds" by picking up the item off the shelf and bringing it to the service desk. Easy $300. Plus the tax he didn't pay of course.

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