Scale and Extent of the Problem

Abstract

Getting to grips with the scale and extent of the problem of shrinkage is not an easy task — information is often patchy, scarce and of variable quality. This is further compounded by the fact that the issue tends to be dominated by the crime components of shrinkage, in particular external theft and the use of technologies to counter this particular problem, while other areas such as losses caused by process failures receive relatively little attention. This chapter will focus upon reviewing the existing information on what we know about the problem of shrinkage to date, focusing particularly upon the findings from various shrinkage surveys carried out around the globe and other research studies undertaken in this field.