Employee theft and shoplifting has been on the rise throughout 2008, but it's expected to increase even more through the holiday shopping season. Security experts believe that this is due in large part to the fact that people become accustomed to a certain lifestyle and will try to maintain it, even if they lose their job or end up with a lower paying job due to the recession.

Retailers started seeing signs of increased theft as early as this spring, months into a U.S. housing slump that has since worsened. In April, 74 percent of retail executives surveyed by the National Retail Federation said they had seen an increase in shoplifting for the year and 79 percent said they experienced a rise in employee theft.

In 2007, U.S. retailers lost $34.8 billion due to theft. That amounts to approximately $350 per household, or about 1.5 cents per every dollar consumers spend at retail establishments as store owners try to recoup these costs.

In addition to over-the-counter drugs, cosmetics and clothing such as designer jeans, thieves are also looking for something to eat. According to a poll conducted by the Food Marketing Institute, food retailers are most likely to have experienced a rise in theft.

(Source: http://www.reuters.com)