Levi Strauss

More retailers hit by organized crime: survey

By Phil WahbaNEW YORK (Reuters) - Sophisticated technology, less staff at stores and more gang activity are all contributing to more U.

S. stores being hit by organized crime, according to a survey by an industry group.Of 129 retailers, primarily national store chains, surveyed this spring by the National Retail Federation , 94.5 percent said they were victimized by organized criminals in the past year. And 84.8 percent said the problem has only worsened in the past three years.The NRF said cutbacks of security employees, the desire for low prices by consumers and the ease of selling stolen goods online or at pawn shops all contributed to the problem. NRF members range from Macy's Inc to mom-and-pop shops."Shoppers are conditioned to look for a deal," a senior NRF advisor, Joe LaRocca, told Reuters.LaRocca said consumers do not actively seek stolen goods, but the appetite for low prices has spurred demand."Thieves are looking for highly desirable, easily resold items," he said.In contra...

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