NRF Retracts Claim on Organized Retail Crime's Impact

Revised Report No Longer Provides Estimate of Financial Impact

The National Retail Federation (NRF) has retracted a claim that organized retail crime accounted for nearly half of the retail industry's $94.5 billion in missing merchandise in 2021.
The NRF's retraction followed an investigation by Retail Dive, which found inaccuracies in the data.
The NRF's revised report no longer provides an estimate of the financial impact of organized retail crime.
Despite the retraction, the NRF maintains that organized retail crime is a significant issue for retailers.
Analysts suggest that some retailers may be exaggerating the impact of theft to distract from poor business performance.