With prices rising, many people are having to tighten their belts. The retail trade is therefore not only struggling with reluctance to buy - but also with a criminal phenomenon.
Stuttgart (dpa / lsw) - According to the trade association, rising prices as a result of the war in Ukraine have recently led to more shoplifting in the southwest. "We are registering a strong increase across all sectors," said a spokesman for the association. When people run out of money, retailers notice that too. In the past, there have always been such surges in shoplifting with similar financial cuts.
Concrete figures were not yet available to the Baden-Württemberg trade association. In the textile sector, for example, it is sometimes only noticed during the inventory what was sold and what was stolen, said the spokesman. Shops with a high number of customers, such as supermarkets or markets for animal feed, are particularly affected. The location is also crucial - fewer thefts are to be expected in a village shop than in downtown Stuttgart.
Hiring additional security staff is becoming increasingly difficult given falling margins, the spokesman said. Many retailers tried to solve the problem with the store detectives and security cameras that were already in place. "But the truth also includes: not everyone can afford it."
