According to the National Retail Federation, retail shrink reached $94.5 billion in 2021, as compared to $90.8 billion in 2020. Shrink refers to inventory losses due to theft, unknown loss and administrative error. Retailers have characterized retail crime as an "epidemic," and the issue has prompted some of the nation's biggest companies, like Target, Home Depot and CVS, to invest billions in loss prevention and asset protection, including corporate investigators and security professionals. On the other side of the table, criminologists and criminal justice advocates worry that the story is not as straightforward as retailers and their advocacy groups are suggesting. Looking deeper, critics point out that not only is shrink difficult to track accurately, the methodology used in data gathering as it relates to retail theft is inconsistent. Chapters: 0:00 — Introduction 02:19 — Retail crime on the rise 07:02 — The data debate 15:28 — Legislation and law enforcement Produced by: Jade Tungul Senior Managing Producer: Tala Hadavi Editorial Support by: Gabrielle Fonrouge Graphics: Jason Reginato, Jade Tungul Additional sources: Retail Industry Leaders of America, National Retail Federation, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Home Depot, Lowe’s » Subscribe to CNBC: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBC » Subscribe to CNBC TV: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBCtelevision About CNBC: From 'Wall Street' to 'Main Street' to award winning original documentaries and Reality TV series, CNBC has you covered. Experience special sneak peeks of your favorite shows, exclusive video and more. Connect with CNBC News Online Get the latest news: https://www.cnbc.com/ Follow CNBC on LinkedIn: https://cnb.cx/LinkedInCNBC Follow CNBC News on Facebook: https://cnb.cx/LikeCNBC Follow CNBC News on Twitter: https://cnb.cx/FollowCNBC Follow CNBC News on Instagram: https://cnb.cx/InstagramCNBC #CNBC Why Retailers Are Spending Billions On Anti-Theft Technology