Increase in shoplifting due to inflation?

2023-10-12 08:40:24, Kosova & Bota CNA

In some supermarkets, even packages of cheese and steaks are being affixed with security magnets, while coffee packages are being replaced on the shelves by empty packages. According to data from the American Retail Association and other companies, the number of shoplifting has increased significantly. One reason cited is the rising cost of living, the price crisis, which many citizens have to face.

The financial leadership of the Associated British Foods company has expressed to the boulevard newspaper The Sun the suspicion that inflation and high prices only give an excuse to those who want to steal what they want. The head of the London shopping center chain, John Louis, told the BBC that we are dealing with an "epidemic of shoplifting."

Is inflation increasing theft?

Frank Horst from the German trade think tank EHI Retail Institute follows the situation in Germany closely. "In 2022, shoplifting figures have increased greatly compared to the previous year. There is a 12% increase in shop bankruptcies compared to the previous year and a 30% increase in reported thefts. Is this due to inflation? No , says Frank Horst. In the years of the pandemic due to the restrictions there was an artificial decrease in the number of thefts. Many stores were not open. According to Horst "what sounds dramatic at the moment is in reality a return to normality."

Of course it is conceivable that continued inflation over time drives more people to steal. Such an effect would be better understood in a comparative study next year. Only in this case can it be said more accurately whether there is an increase in thefts in Germany.

Increase in shoplifting due to inflation?

There is no evidence of an increase in theft in times of crisis

Frank Horst is skeptical. he observes shoplifting statistics for 20 years. "During the financial crisis, the refugee crisis or even in times of high unemployment - in all these crises it has been said that these are factors that favor shoplifting. But in retrospect no strong effects have been noticed." Hard times in the economy do not necessarily lead to more theft. But according to the expert, there are first signs in Germany that inflation does not affect the frequency but the type of thefts. "Currently, the situation is such that there is a change in shoplifting, more products are stolen that were not the focus before." Horst remembers stealing cheese, ham or butter. "In this case, you can say that this has to do with inflation and the increase in the prices of these products.

Supermarkets in the UK and US react

The situation in Great Britain and the USA is not fully comparable to Germany. Many factors play a role in these countries. The USA, for example, has a big problem with drug crime, organized gangs rob entire pharmacies and other stores where drugs are sold. Supermarkets in the US and UK are currently taking protective measures. More surveillance cameras, free coffee for cops and law enforcement, body cameras and security checks. This costs these companies and in the end it is the customers who will have to pay, as the products become more expensive./ DW