Thieves are crashing cars and construction vehicles into stores to steal ATMs, guns, and luxury handbags in a theft phenomenon known as 'ram raiding'

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A yellow crane used in a ram raid robbery sits outside a Coop grocery store in the UK as an onlooker takes a photo of the crane partially inside the store.
Thieves who "ram raid" stores often steal construction equipment for the job, as happened with a crane at this grocery store in the UK.

Joe Sene/PA Images via Getty Images

It's time for retailers to stop blaming theft for so many of their problems

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Target Checkout
Losses from customers stealing products at retailers were only slightly higher than those from theft by employees in 2022, according to data from the National Retail Federation.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Shoppers like having items behind locked glass says Target, even as hundreds complain online

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a view down an aisle of locked up beauty products inside Target
A view down an aisle of locked-up beauty products inside Target.

Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins/Insider

A running store in Paris invited people to steal its products — if they could outrun one of France's fastest sprinters disguised as a security guard

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jogging
French running store Distance hosted a one-day promo where shoppers could keep whatever they could get away with.

picture alliance / Getty

Target says it's closing 9 locations over crime, but New York City crime stats surrounding its East Harlem store tell another story

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the exterior entrance of Target in East Harlem
Target said it would close this location on 117th Street in New York, along with eight other US stores.

Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins/Insider

Target to close 9 stores across 4 states, citing retail crime. See the full list.

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Empty shopping cart sits next to empty pens at Target store on Black Friday
Target is closing nine stores in four states. It says theft and organized retail crime are threatening safety.

Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

Shoplifting and other inventory loss cost retailers $112 billion last year

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Tide laundry detergent bottles locked up inside CVS store
Tide laundry detergent bottles with a security locking system to prevent theft at a CVS pharmacy, Queens, New York.

Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Lowe's CEO says the 'greatest deterrent' for retail theft is hiring and training workers

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Lowe's employee
Earlier this year, Ellison said Lowe's spending on employee compensation had increased by $3 billion since 2018, and would grow by another $1 billion over the next three years.

Jay LaPrete/AP Images

Major retailers say shoplifting is a huge problem. So at least one is now considering removing brand names from its shelves altogether.

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Shopping trolleys are seen near the Walmart shop in Williston, United States on June 19, 2023.
Shopping trolleys are seen near the Walmart shop in Williston.

Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images

A grocery chain is offering free coffee to cops in an attempt to deter shoplifters

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A cashier scans goods at a Waitrose supermarket in London on December 29, 2021
The initiative was "part of efforts to strengthen relationships and tackle retail crime," a press release said.

Hollie Adams/AFP via Getty Images

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