, found the average “shrink rate,” or product losses across theft and other categories, of 1.4% in 2021 was largely unchanged over the last five years. That still adds up to about $94.5 billion in losses across all manner of theft and paperwork errors, according to the report.The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is pushing for legislation that would require sellers of large quantities of goods to essentially prove where they got their merchandise from as part of the effort to combat that activity.
About 50% of small-business owners say inflation is a top challenge, while 71% believe the worst is yet to come on inflation and price hikes. “In recent quarters, there has been optimism from small businesses who still felt good about how their business is doing,” said Tom Sullivan, vice president of small business policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in a press release. “However, inflation is really hitting small business hard, and that reality is negatively impacting their confidence, their ability to hire, invest in their businesses and grow.