Black Friday is a big day for consumers, and many criminals will also be out looking to score some “deals” of their own. Madison retail consultant Doug Johnson says store workers are busy helping consumers today. They are also keeping an eye out for shoplifters.
Johnson says retail theft is the largest monetary crime in the US and the state, amounting to nearly $2 million in losses in Wisconsin each year. Johnson says it adds six to seven percent to the cost of merchandise for honest shoppers.
AUDIO: Doug Johnson (:22)
Many stores will prosecute shoplifters and even sue the parents of minors caught stealing.
Johnson says retailers go to great lengths to catch thieves in the act. That includes small cameras planted throughout stores, even in the eyes of mannequins.
John Colbert, WIBA