Spain is ranked sixth in the world in terms of retail shrinkage rates, a study has found. Only Mexico, the Netherlands, Finland, Japan and China record higher rates of shrinkage than the Mediterranean country, as reported in gondoladigital.com.
Retail theft was valued at around €2.49 billion last year, which represents 1.33 per cent of the total sales of the sector. This indicates a slight improvement compared to 2014 (1.36 per cent).
Wine, spirits, cheese and charcuterie are the categories in which most shrinkage occurs in Spain.
However, the study also indicates that Spanish chains are among the most aware in the world about the need to invest in anti-theft solutions.
According to the Spanish police authorities, in 2014 there were 183,753 declared instances of theft in retail establishments, which was 5.16 per cent less than in the previous year.
In Spain, the study found, external theft is the main cause of shrinkage in retail. This contrasts with global figures that place internal theft (those made by the shop's own staff) as the first reason. About 52 per cent of theft in Spanish retail is external, and only 18 per cent is internal. Administrative mistakes account for approximately 25 per cent of losses and supplier fraud for 5 per cent.
© 2016 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Gabriela Guédez. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
