FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 7th, 2023
The Coalition of Law Enforcement and Retail (CLEAR) stands behind our estimate that organized retail crime (ORC) causes $45 billion dollars in inventory losses to retailers every year. This estimate was based off loss data collected directly from retailers and federal and state law enforcement agencies involved in the difficult work of defining and dismantling massive criminal networks targeting our communities.
ORC cases are complex investigations into professional thieves, illicit wholesale networks, and online marketplaces that continue to profit from these crimes. CLEAR members from both law enforcement and retail routinely conduct detailed forensic financial examinations of these criminal organizations, inventory of recovered stolen products, and online marketplace sales data to determine actual financial damage to the retail victims.
Accelerated by The Inform Consumers Act, retailers and law enforcement officials who work these cases are consistently validating ORC related losses ranging from 40 – 60% of total retail losses each year. This estimate has been validated by several industry studies and has been widely accepted by federal law enforcement and the retail community, including the National Retail Federation.
Ultimately, equivocating over a number we acknowledge is an estimate misses the point and is counterproductive to CLEAR’s mission to protect consumers and businesses from the very real harm being caused by Organized Retail Crime.
John J. Clark Executive Director Coalition of Law Enforcement and Retail