Source: Marginal REVOLUTION
A new analysis linking store-level crime data to pricing reveals that retailers absorb organized theft by raising prices on all customers, not just in affected locations. This creates a hidden tax on honest shoppers and quantifies organized retail crime as an economic cost beyond loss prevention—the mechanism is direct and measurable. Retail theft functions as a regressive wealth transfer, inflating retailer margins while shifting losses onto lower-income consumers who shop in higher-crime areas.