Washington, D.C. is number two on a list of U.S. areas hurting the most from retail theft, and the crime cost residents an average of $336 per person in 2021, according to a survey by Forbes Advisor.
This came as no surprise to people familiar with the shelves of a CVS on 14th Street in Columbia Heights.
“Empty. There's nothing there. I've seen people walk out with stuff in their hands,” one shopper told News4 on Tuesday night.
Analysts who produce news and information for Forbes Advisor took a look at the numbers on how much retail theft per capita each of the 50 states and D.C. experienced.
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“So what that means specifically for D.C. is that it accounted for 68% more retail crime than you would expect based on the national average,” Alexandria Cremer, a senior digital and PR strategist for Forbes Advisor, said.
The survey found that organized retail theft played a significant role in the losses. The District and close in Maryland and Virginia suburbs have all been impacted.
"Organized retail crime typically involves a criminal enterprise employing a group of individuals who steal large quantities of merchandise from a number of stores and have a fencing operation that converts the stolen goods into cash," Cremer said.
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The analysts found that 56% of the small businesses owners surveyed expected retail theft to increase during the holiday season.
