Shoplifting costs retailers 1bn per year

SHOPLIFTING is costing shop owners up to 1 billion a year in lost revenue and security measures.

Three cents out of every euro spent in shops goes on security systems and, according to the Small Firms Association (SFA), the bulk of shoplifting is carried out by professionals who steal to order.

SFA director Pat Delaney said: “It is a very serious problem. We are not talking about spontaneous outbreaks of opportunity thieving. We are dealing with planned professional criminality.

“Robbing to order is endemic. They go after high value goods like cosmetics, perfumes, leather goods, tobacco and alcohol, and particularly, branded clothing.

“At least 600 million a year in security alone and tens of millions are lost in stolen goods,” he added.

Despite using security staff, closed circuit television, electronic tagging and sophisticated alarms, retailers have not been able to clamp down on shoplifting.

Mr Delaney said: “The fact is we do not have enough gardaí, despite the promises made by Government and by successive ministers for justice.

“We have been demanding the creation of a special garda business unit but nothing has happened and firms continue to lose tens of millions of euro every year as a result of crime.”

Describing retail crime as an “epidemic”, Mr Delaney said part of the blame lay in our growing tolerance of dishonesty. “We appear to have given up on the notion that people should be honest,” he said.

Mr Delaney also criticised the legal system for its failure to address the problem and said there should be a better use of garda resources in order to combat shoplifting.

“There should be a rigid application of existing laws. They are simply not being enforced at the moment. The most important thing is that we get the criminal justice system working. We don’t need new laws. We need the ones on the statute books properly applied “Violent crime has increased substantially. Very often managers find themselves attacked not only in their premises but also outside it. It means they have to employ a sophisticated alarm system not only at their business but also in their homes. The situation is intolerable,” he added.

The incidence of crime against business has increased substantially. According to a study by the SFA, 35% of companies were victims of repeat crimes, a figure that has increased by 700% since 1997. “Based on SFA analysis of 648 companies, 45% of businesses have been a crime victim in the past year alone.” The Crimestoppers confidential hotline is 1800 250025.