Shoplifting is a common crime across the United States, including in New Jersey. There are many ways to shoplift, and both employees and customers can commit this crime.
Here are three examples of retail theft that occur in New Jersey places of business.
1. Switching price tags
Theft via switching price tags occurs when a customer takes a label from a lower-priced good and puts it on a higher-priced good, causing the cashier to ring up the item for less than it is supposed to sell. This causes the store to fail to make the full profit for that item.
2. Leaving with unpaid items
A customer taking items that they have not paid for out of the store is what most people picture when they think of shoplifting. Many stores have security measures in place to alert employees when a customer is leaving with an unpaid item, but some small businesses or older establishments might not, causing them to lose inventory when customers commit retail theft.
3. Altering records
Altering the books that record inventory, profits and losses is a common way that employees commit retail theft. These actions can be even more difficult to catch than catching a customer who switches price tags or leaves with unpaid items because employers place more trust in the employees who they hire to manage their finances.
When customers and employees are aware of the different things that constitute retail theft, they can take steps to ensure that they avoid the consequences of shoplifting.
