Ethermac Exchange-Video shows 5 robbers raiding Chanel store in Washington D.C., a mile from White House

Five people robbed a retail store in Washington D.C.,Ethermac Exchange identified to be a Chanel outlet, the Metropolitan Police Department said.

Metropolitan Police said that the department is seeking the robbers and their vehicle in connection to the heist that took place on Sunday around 5:30 p.m., in northwest D.C., about a mile from the White House.

Video footage released by the police department shows one of the robbers discharge a fire extinguisher multiple times, with its contents hitting a special police officer on duty as the other masked robbers grabbed merchandise from the store. The group then fled the scene.

While the police did not specify the value of the merchandise stolen, local media reports suggested that the robbers stole $250,000 worth of stuff.

Surveillance cameras captured an image of one of the robbers along with their vehicle.

The Metropolitan Police Department has requested anyone with information on the robbers or vehicle to contact the police at (202) 727-9099 or text information to the Department's TEXT TIP LINE at 50411.

A reward of up to $1,000 will be awarded to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible.

How much does shoplifting cost retailers?

The National Retail Federation has estimated that organized retail crime costs companies an average of 7 cents for every $100 in sales. Organized retail crime usually refers to a group of professional shoplifters who perpetrate large scale retail-theft with the intent to resell merchandise. All types and sizes of businesses may fall victim to organized retail crime, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

However, the NRF has walked back claims from an April report that organized retail crime made up nearly half of all inventory losses in 2021. This update, made on Nov. 29, comes as stores raise alarms about a rise in retail theft.

NRF spokesperson Mary McGinty said the lobbying group stands behind the fact that organized retail crime is “a serious problem impacting retailers of all sizes and communities” but recognizes the challenges the industry and law enforcement have with gathering and analyzing accurate data.

Retail crime data is notoriously hazy. Most law enforcement agencies tend not to break out organized retail crime in their crime data, and the shoplifting data we do have available is often self-reported.

Is shoplifting on the rise?Retail data shows it's fallen in many cities post-pandemic

Recent research suggests that while retail theft is up in some markets, it has actually fallen in others.

The Council on Criminal Justice found shoplifting trends since 2019 have been a mixed bag across 24 cities, with reports rising in places like New York and Los Angeles but falling in the majority of tracked cities including Denver, San Francisco and Minneapolis. Additionally, the study says the vast majority of shoplifting is not committed by groups, despite the prevalence of smash-and-grab incidents that make headlines.

Contributing: Bailey Schulz, USA TODAY

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @saman_shafiq7.