Shops Lose Over €500m A Year To Theft

Over €500m a year is being stolen from Irish stores by shoplifters and staff.

The past two years has seen a steady rise in the number of thefts, with gangs now blitzing towns and cities for high-value branded goods and jewellery.

There is also a noted surge in the theft of everyday goods such as meat, cheese, razor blades, pizzas, deodorant and coffee.

In 2009, 19pc of retailers reported theft of stock but this soared to 35pc in 2012. Ibec's retail director Stephen Lynam said staff were responsible for around one-third of the thefts and shoplifters the rest.

"This is a staggeringly high cost that is factored into retailers' pricing decisions, so the consumers ultimately pay for the criminal activity of the few," Ibec's 'Tackling the Black Market and Retail Crime' report found.

Shoplifting and break-ins now add up to 10pc to the operating costs of some retailers.

(H)