Canadians are shoplifting left and right and it’s only getting worse
Shoplifting remains on the rise even as overall crime across Canada has dropped, according to a new report.
Statistics Canada recently published the Crime Severity Index (CSI), which measures the volume and severity of police-reported crime in Canada. The good news is that crime rates across Canada declined by 4.1 per cent in 2024. However, shoplifting of goods worth $5,000 or less has increased.
In 2024, police received 182,361 reports of shoplifting, a 14 per cent increase from 2023. The rate at which people have been taking merchandise from stores has been increasing for four consecutive years. Looking at statistics from the past decade reveals a more alarming trend: shoplifting increased by 66 per cent from 2014 to 2024.
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Compared to other types of crime, shoplifting is generally considered a relatively minor offence. However, it can result in massive financial losses for businesses, and companies are taking action.
In January, shoppers in Vancouver expressed frustration after Safeway, a supermarket chain owned by Sobeys Inc., installed anti-theft gates. Last year, Loblaws tested several anti-theft methods, such as receipt scanners, security gates, and shopping carts with locking wheels. One Loblaws location’s anti-theft method for cheese drew sharp criticism after it locked up $9.99 wedges of cheese, with a sign asking customers to see an associate for the item.
As businesses attempt to stem the financial loss from shoplifting, other types of theft have decreased by nine per cent. Breaking and entering, the most severe kind of property crime, decreased by 11 percent, while vehicle theft was down by 17 per cent.
Property crime may be on the decline, but the financial strain that Canadians are facing paints a much more complex picture.
An H&R Block Canada survey revealed that 85 per cent said they feel like “living paycheque to paycheque is the new norm,” while 51 per cent said they’re struggling to make ends meet.
Canadians are also struggling to pay off their debts, according to a recent report by Money.ca, a financial news and comparison site.
While non-mortgage debt rose a modest 3.79 per cent year-over-year, delinquency rates (inability to pay outstanding debt) jumped 19.14 per cent, reaching 1.43 per cent. Money.ca says this is a signal that more Canadians are struggling to meet their financial obligations.
With files from Isabelle Docto