Shrinkage Cost Calculator — How Much Are You Really Losing?
The average U.S. retailer lost 1.68% of revenue to shrinkage in 2024 — a decade high. Input your numbers below to see what shrinkage is costing your operation and whether active loss prevention pays for itself.
Understanding Shrinkage
Shrinkage is the loss of inventory due to employee theft, shoplifting, administrative errors, vendor fraud, and operational waste. For most retailers, it’s the single largest controllable expense after labor and rent.
Shrinkage by Industry
- National Average: 1.68% of revenue
- Convenience Stores: 2–4% (higher due to cash-heavy transactions and lottery/tobacco)
- Gas Stations: 1.5–3% (fuel shortages, cash register discrepancies)
- Restaurants/QSR: 5–10% of food cost (internal theft, waste, overportioning)
- Bars: 15–25% of liquor cost (overpouring, free drinks, phantom bottles)
- Hardware Stores: 2–6% (high-value small items, back-dock theft)
Why Active Loss Prevention Pays for Itself
The average employee theft incident costs $1,890. Without active monitoring, only 10.9% of losses are recovered. DohShield’s daily POS + video auditing catches incidents within 24 hours — before small losses become big problems. Most clients achieve a 487% ROI within their first year.
Learn About DohShieldReady to stop the chaos?
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