Americans lost $15.7 billion in stolen packages last year: survey

As if rising prices and tariffs weren’t already causing shoppers some serious stress, retail package theft is making things worse.

According to new research from Omnisend supported by FBI crime data, Americans lost $15.7 billion (amounting to 241 million parcels) to stolen packages in 2024. Nearly 1 in 3 households were victimized, per the study.

Each stolen package averaged around $65 in losses, while 85% of thefts amounted to less than $100. Most packages stolen were from retailers like Amazon (71.9%) and courier services such as UPS (31.3%), FedEx (29.7%), and USPS (28.8%).

Meanwhile, retailers covered only $6.5 billion in refunds, with 70% of theft victims saying they received a replacement. Twenty-three percent also said that the retailer did not take responsibility.

Naturally, consumers have been on alert after these types of experiences. In fact, 44% of those surveyed said they’d shop online less after experiencing theft, 27% opted for lockers or pickup, and 29% stuck with retailers that offered easy refund policies.

Certain demographics are more apt to be impacted by package theft than others. A 2024 study by Security.org found that people of color were more likely to be victims of package theft, with 7% saying they had a package stolen over the previous three months versus 3% of white people.

Overall, however, the findings track with how most shoppers have been feeling as retail crime continues to be a concern both online and in-stores. In a survey by Flock Safety and Zencity earlier this year, about one-third of consumers said they saw retail crime as a significant concern, driving 58% to shop online instead of in stores.

Meanwhile, according to Aurora’s 2025 Retail Crime Insights Report, US retailers saw a 9% jump in retail crime losses over the past year.