Pandemic fueling surge in organized thefts at stores across the U.S.

Major retailers across the U.S. are facing a rash of organized shoplifting, with an estimated 80 thieves this month ransacking a Nordstrom store in California and more than a dozen people swiping merchandise from a Louis Vuitton store in suburban Chicago.

Multiple retailers and at least two states report an increase in mass thefts, while experts point to the COVID-19 pandemic as fueling the incidents. 

"Retailers have always had shoplifting, but the concern now is there seems to be a surge in organized, gang-related theft," said Neil Saunders, an analyst and managing director at GlobalData Retail. "Shoplifting was very covert — you don't see it — but this is very blatant."