美國零售商喜歡將假日比作一年一度的體壇盛事——美式橄欖球年度冠軍賽 “超級碗”。但扒手們也這么認為。

Checkpoint Systems公司最近發布的一項研究報告顯示，假日期間，失竊商品占商家銷售總額的比例會激增，因為隨著購物者增多，包括許多零售商員工在內的小偷就更容易偷竊那些值錢的商品。

始于上周的假日季通常要占零售商年度銷售額的34%，但這一時段“縮水”的銷售額也占到全年的37%。所謂縮水是指各種原因導致的庫存損失，包括供應鏈效率低下、員工監守自盜和扒手偷竊等。就這個問題而言，后兩種因素貢獻最大。

假日期間，扒竊是一個價值60億美元的大問題。

該報告的作者厄尼·戴勒認為，在假日購物季，扒手下手時更心安理得。“如果偷竊的東西是送給孩子的圣誕節禮物，其心理壓力就遠遠小于給自己偷一件夏天用的泳衣。”

以下是假日購物季美國扒手最喜歡下手的十類商品：

1、電子配件

2、皮衣

3、電子產品

4、飾品

5、冬裝

6、肉類與海產

7、酒

8、香水與古龍水

9、兒童玩具

10、巧克力

這個假日購物季，扒手對科爾氏百貨、梅西百貨、塔吉特和Gap 等零售商的影響尤其嚴重。因為這些商家原本就需要應對銷售額下滑和競爭對手促銷攻勢所導致的利潤縮水。

Checkpoint Systems公司指出，零售商的毛利率由31%降至29%，主要原因是，商家對顧客的競爭已經趨于白熱化。（財富中文網）

譯者：Charlie

審校：夏林

Retailers like to call the holiday season the Super Bowl of shopping. Shoplifters feel the same way.

According to a recent forecast by Checkpoint Systems, shoplifting as a percentage of sales spikes during the holiday season as thieves (including many retail employees) gravitate to pricier items as more shoppers come into stores.

The holiday season, which kicked off last week, generates 34% of annual sales for retailers, but 37% of their annual “shrinkage,” which is inventory loss for whatever reason—from supply chain inefficiency to employee theft to shoplifting. The latter two account for the bulk of shrinkage.

Shoplifting is $6 billion problem for retailers during the holidays.

According to Ernie Deyle, author of the Checkpoint Systems report, shoplifters are more apt to rationalize their theft during the holiday season. “It’s much easier to do so when a child’s Christmas present is at stake rather than an extra bathing suit for the summer,” he wrote.

Here are the 10 things that American shoplifters steal during the holiday season:

1. Electronics accessories

2. Leather clothing

3. Electronics

4. Accessories

5. Winter clothing

6. Meat and seafood

7. Alcohol

8. Perfume and cologne

9. Children’s toys

10. Chocolate

Shoplifting is especially hard on retailers like Kohl’s KSS 2.38% , Macy’s M 2.50% , Target TGT 1.50% , and Gap Inc GPS 8.77% who are eager to protect profit margins this holiday season as their sales sag and rivals go heavy on promotions.

According to Checkpoint Systems, retailers’ gross profit margin falls to 29% of sales from 31%, in large part because these stores are fighting tooth and nail for each shopper.