suntimes.com

Five-finger discounts here soar as economy slumps Kelly Bry, owner of Ouest Boutique in Wicker Park, has moved the most expensive of her chic women's dresses and outfits to the back of the store after two dresses worth $300 each were stolen from her shop last winter and a police flier recently warned her of robberies in the area. Chicago experienced a 9.6 percent increase in retail thefts in 2008 from 2007, to 11,289 incidents from 10,300, mirroring a national trend of increased shoplifting during tough economic times.