Rather, shrink is the retail industry’s term for lost inventory — items that left a store or warehouse without being paid for.
The merchandise might have been stolen or damaged, or the company might have lost track of it because of poor stock-keeping practices.
In the past year, executives at Home Depot, Walgreens, Macy’s and Walmart have highlighted how shrink has eaten into their bottom lines or could affect pricing.
Some have brought up so-called organized shoplifting — in which two or more people steal items to sell them — as a particular concern, while others have pointed to individual acts of theft that have led to violence in stores.
Organizations:
Home Depot, Macy’s, Walmart
Locations:
Walgreens