Germany never had more shopkeepers than 2024. The annual survey of 98 retail vendors estimates a 3% increase a year ago – a few € 4.95 billion ($ 5.84 billion) in losses.
The latest study by Germany’s Retail Institute (EHI) on “Inventory Difference” suggests that the vast majority of those disadvantages (€ 4.2 billion) is what is to steal from customers, employees, or distribution workers, the EHI said, which would cause some loss to public purses during sales tax.
The EHI stated that retailers had to resort to balance their losses, and the cost of additional security, prices. Study writer Frank Horst calculated that some 1.5% prices in shops can now be attributed to theft and safety.
Shopkeeper technology
The EHI stated that organized shoplifting has increased by 5%, which is responsible for one third of total shopkeeping loss. Horst said that it could be a personal thief that they are doing their work through “purchase list”, or, the theft can be done by coordinated groups.
“One of them driving, one of them distracts the staff, or molds the person who keeps the goods away, so that they could not be the sea,” Horst told DW. “Sometimes the so-called depot are installed in the store, where all the accessories are packed in a bag, and then someone else takes it in a stunning moment.”
The survey does not include the accurate breakdown of the types of articles that are stolen, but Horst says that the target appeals of the thieves are expensive, and it can be easier, discovered as perfumes and cosmetics. There is an increase in theft of food items, especially expensive things such as meats and cheese.
But Criminologist Nicole Bogelin at the University of Cologne suspected how useful the study is actually. He told DW that researchers estimate that 98% of cases have not been discovered.
“So it is just a perception that most of the thesis damage can be attributed to the theft,” he said.
Bögelin suspected EHI’s concept that more organized shopkeepers are gangs, as it could only happen because stores are more looking for detective search groups.
‘Poverty crime’
Despite its shortcomings, the annual EHI survey is one of some shopkeeper studies there, and it is mostly focused on economic impact. Bögelein, by training a sociologist as well as a criminal, has a separate approach, and says that almost all the cases of shopkeeping are so-called “poverty crimes”, which are in the form of crimes that are to carry out other money, and they have no money.
In his investigation by Bögelein, Ino Shoplifting has found that those who are caught are often poor – possibly, Xi says, ie because store detectives are more likely to keep an eye on those who “look poor.”
Official data shows that most of the people free from shops are completely petty. According to data from the German federal police, 66.7% discovery and prosecuting, the stolen goods were also priced at € 50 and 40.2% of cases also under € 15. The punishment is usually a small fine, or, if the fine cannot be fined or not, the jail sentence.
A ‘heaven’ for Germany shopkeepers?
Horst discarded Germany as a “heaven” for shopkeepers, as punishments are often relative light. Although theoretical thieves can be imprisoned for five years, he said that for the first time in practice, criminals were not accused at all.
Bogelin said that some minor theft could have an impact of preventive, but usually the idea was suspected that more punishment discourages petty crime.
“People don’t steal because they are afraid of punishment,” he argued. “In criminal science, we find that people stick to the rules because they think the rules are correct and because they are afraid of a bad discretion if they do not cling to them.”
Should shoplifting be decimated?
There is a debate among German criminals that “poverty crimes” should be completely reduced to the extent that such crimes usually suffer and therefore does not require criminal justice.
A classic “poverty crime” has been called to downgrade – a public transport ride without a ticket – for a rape, partially because punishing it has become a burden for public coffers and stopping the justice system. Germany every year to ride without tickets.
But Horst argued that shopkeeping should not always be defined as a poverty crime: EHI estimates that two-thirds of shopkeepers cases were called “opportunistic criminals”, and many of them are not the poor.
Horst feels that inflation for basic goods and high prices could play a role in the rise of shopkeeping, but he was reluctant to accept that poverty was the driving element of all theft.
“This protest can be stolen, as people are saying that they are not ready to accept the price rising for a particular product,” Hey said, “I am sure poverty is a part of it, but it tells it on its own – I don’t see it.”
When you are here: Every Tuesday, what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for weekly email newsletter, Berlin Briefing.
