2.20 According to a recent survey by the US National Retail Federation, shoplifting is the biggest and most rapidly growing cause of inventory shrinkage. Their survey suggested that 38 percent of loses can be attributed to shoplifting. This is closely followed by employee or internal theft at 34.5 per cent. Other causes included paperwork errors, vendor fraud and errors, and other unknown loses.124 Inventory shrinkage does not just have implications for the retailer; it also means that retailers have to actively monitor their customers and be suspicious of their behavior. Shoplifting is a global problem, and few countries have answers to the problem. What are the implications of increased shoplifting? How does this affect retailers and customers?