Retail crime has evolved from being simply a matter of inventory shrinkage and financial loss, a new study suggests. Retailers now need to think about crime as a palpable worker safety issue that can impact their ability to retain employees.

That is one of the findings of the forthcoming “Holiday 2023 Future of Retail Workforce Study” from Aaron Sorensen, partner and chief behavioral scientist at Lotis Blue Consulting.

The study, due out this month, is the latest in a series conducted over the last two years. “We were really focused on answering three questions,” Sorensen says. “What causes someone to stay with a retailer? What causes someone to leave a retailer? And then what are those psychological triggers that might shift someone to either want to leave or stay?”

Sorensen’s research, which is based on an in-depth survey of 3,000 retail workers across 600 retailers — has found that there is a push and a pull involved in employee retention, with some factors motivating people to stay in their current jobs, and other factors pushing them to want to leave.

Traditionally, factors like pay, job security and work environment have been the top concerns of retail workers. But this latest study found a significant shift. Health and safety, previously a mid-tier concern, has catapulted into the top three considerations for retail employees contemplating their career futures. And Sorensen says the surge is not coincidental but instead is closely tied to concerns about increased retail crime.

The idea is that retail employees today are not just facing the occasional shoplifter but are increasingly confronted with organized crime rings and potentially violent scenarios. This heightened risk environment has indelibly marked the psyche of the retail worker, prompting a reevaluation of what’s important in their work life.

And while there is some disagreement among experts about how dramatic the increase in retail crime has been outside of a few urban markets, Sorensen suggests that perceptions matter and retail workers’ concerns have as much to do with what they’ve heard is happening at other retail stores as what the actual risk is where they work.

“So, irrespective of what the actual data say in each market, this is an issue that is on the minds of retail associates, and I think organizations definitely need to act accordingly.”

The report states that “with shrinkage losses of $112 billion in 2022 and increasing to staggering levels in 2023, ensuring a safe workplace is now a top priority for associates.”

The report notes that such factors as pay level satisfaction, sustainability practices, commute time and ease, health and safety, feeling valued, and enjoyable work have also become more important to stay or quit decisions.