And these businesses probably dealt with a high rate of shoplifting to begin with. I cannot tell you how many posts on articles have responded to the liquor store video with “it was only shoplifting. what’s the big deal?”
I had friends who were unable to stop the shop lifting from their store and finally closed down and moved on. Larger businesses can afford to take the hit but stealing the merchandise of smaller shops is devastating. This happened in a non ghetto area of town. Shop lifting is now considered by many to be a game and such a minor offense as to not merit serious consequences if caught. Our culture accommodates the easy stealing of property as well as much else because it has become impossible to stop for a number of reasons. Shoplifting is as much a gateway to other lawless behavior as pot is to harder drugs.