Target and other retail chains have warned of widespread theft.
But the increase in shoplifting appears to be limited to a few cities, rather than being truly national.
In most of the country, retail theft has been lower this year than it was a few years ago, according to police data.
There are some exceptions, particularly New York City, where shoplifting has spiked.
But outside New York, shoplifting incidents in major cities have fallen 7 percent since 2019, before the Covid pandemic.
Locations:
U.S, New York City, New York