How much money did the store lose?

So, how much money did the store actually lose?

Give this some thought for a minute. Most people miss the boat completely on this puzzle because they try to treat the robbery and the shopping incident as two entirely different scenarios, when in reality all that needs to be done is follow the path of the money!

The real answer? The store lost exactly $100.

This is one of the simplest ways of looking at it if broken down into simple steps:

In the beginning, the store has both all of its stock and its money. Then comes the customer who steals $100 from the till. What has happened? The store has now been robbed of $100.

But that’s where everybody begins thinking too much about the problem.

Eventually, the criminal returns and spends that very same stolen hundred-dollar bill to buy seventy dollars’ worth of goods. Many individuals tend to think that the retailer has lost both the stolen cash and merchandise, but the accounting doesn’t work that way. Why? Since the stolen hundred-dollar bill is returned back to the cash register when the sale takes place. The retailer literally recovers its money.

Let us try to understand that in more detail:

Step 1: The Theft

The thief steals $100.

Damage: The loss on the part of the shop is $100. Simple enough.

Step 2: The Transaction