COLUMBUS, Ohio -- One in every 11 people in America have admitted to shoplifting.
Statistics show that the five-finger discount costs retailers $10 billion each year.
While in the past, 25 percent of shoplifters have been teenagers looking for a social high, adult shoplifting in Central Ohio is increasing.
No longer are people stealing jewelry and CDs, but rather necessities like shampoo and food, NBC 4's Marcus Thorpe reported.
For Assistant City Prosecutor Bill Hedrick, shoplifters give him a headache. He said he sees two to four merchants a day with reports of stolen merchandise.
"I'm getting more and more items people will use and not things that thieves will resell," Hedrick said.
Last year was a record year for reports, which were up more than 1,000 from 2007.
The city goes after repeat offenders and some candidates go through a diversion program. Still, others don't get the message.
The numbers are staggering and Hedrick is making changes to communicate to judges which suspects don't respect the justice system.
But at the end of the day, Thorpe reported, the increased theft means a price increase for regular customers.
"Prices are already going up. People stealing takes away profits. (You) have to do something to make it up," said Tarek Kweik, of Herbert's Market.
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