Retailers struggling with significant rise in shoplifting

Businesses in Estonia are seeing a wave of shoplifting following 18 months of economic downturn.
Data from Statistics Estonia shows retailers saw a 3 percent year-on-year decline in February at constant prices. The sales revenue of industrial goods stores decreased by 8 percent and grocery stores by 2 percent.
At the same time, fuel sellers saw a 9 percent rise.
Nele Peil, the Estonian Retailers' Association's (Eesti Kaupmeeste Liit) CEO, said some companies have already gone bankrupt.
The situation is made more difficult by the increase in shoplifting.
"The cost of theft and the cost of security are correlated and account for about 1 percent of turnover. At the moment, it can be seen that stores have significantly increased security costs as theft has shot up. This is a problem all over Estonia and in all stores – grocery, electronics, etc," she said.
"Thefts have roughly doubled in a year. This is a major concern for businesses as it is a significant cost and inevitably all these costs will eventually have to be passed on in the price of products," Peil told Thursday's "Aktuaalne kaamera".
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Editor: Merili Nael, Helen Wright
Source: Aktuaalne kaamera