German retail notes rise in gangs and violence among shoplifters

Shoplifting is rising sharply in Germany, and prosecution of the thieves is too lax, in the view of the country's retail sector.

"Losses from shoplifting rose to €3 billion ($3.5 billion) in 2024, 20% up on the 2022 figure," Stefan Genth, head of the German Trade Association (HDE), told the t-online news portal.

Genth noted the organized nature of much of the theft. "Gangs move in a focused way through inner cities, stealing expensive goods, such as perfume, shoes, electronic goods, and then sell them on the grey market," he said.

In addition, thieves operating solo are increasingly aggressive when caught, Genth says.

And he is critical of prosecutors. "Shopkeepers lay charges, and prosecutors then drop the cases on the grounds of efficiency. As a result, many retailers no longer report shoplifting to the police," he says. He puts the unreported ratio at as high as 98% of all shoplifting.

Genth called for changes to the law, investment in security and increased funding for the judiciary.

"I fear conditions as in the United States, where almost everything is behind glass. That's an expression of mistrust of the customers, while more than 90% are honest," he said.

Genth rejected any correlation between self-scanners and theft. "We cannot confirm this link," he said.