According to the Crime Prevention Council (GOOD) 381,041 theft and assault crimes were reported in 2023. Of these, 47,558 were shoplifting. This meant an increase of ten percent compared to 2022.
The Swedish grocery stores have not been spared from the crime wave that has recently swept Sweden. During the first quarter of 2024, every other grocery store was subjected to some form of crime. And in many parts of the country, it has become more or less common for shop staff to try to prevent theft or be subjected to threats and even violence.
The challenges of keeping thieves at bay have resulted in more stores feeling compelled to prevent crime by investing heavily in security and surveillance.
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The number of shoplifting incidents has increased significantly. Photo: Gorm KallelstadCoop’s concern about crime in the stores
The fact that the number of thefts is increasing is also felt by the food giants, in addition to increased costs for security and surveillance.
In an interview with News24 says Marcus Björlingpress secretary at Coop, that the situation is a major concern that affects the industry.
– The trend is that we detect the thefts to the highest degree in the same way as our colleagues in the industry. It is already a big concern for the trade that has not become less in recent years, but rather the opposite, he says.
In order to curb waves of theft and that threatening individuals enter the stores, they work both with education and how stores expose goods that are prone to theft, he believes.
– We work first and foremost with preventive measures such as employee training, how we staff the store and meet our customers, how we expose and place stolen goods, technical aids, cooperation with colleagues, authorities, schools, municipalities and more.
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Coop is aware of the increased crime in grocery stores. Photo: Fredrik Sandberg/TT This is how Ica and Axfood work to prevent crime in the stores
But it is not only Coop who feels the challenges.
When some traders spend millions on increasing security, Ica Group’s press officer says Kim Engblom that they work closely with the individual traders to prevent crime.
– Of course, much of the preventive work is done in stores and many stores have a close dialogue with above all the police, the municipality and other local actors. Our central store security department also supports the stores with training and advice on the choice of technology, working methods and routines.
The food group Axfood, which owns Willys, Hemköp and Tempo, among other things, also works with preventive work by trying to increase security for both employees and customers.
– Unfortunately, crime is something that trade has always been exposed to. We obviously work to support stores and chains in a variety of ways in both security work and crime prevention work, with the aim of increasing security for our employees and countering crime and theft, says Axfood’s press manager Magnus Törnblom to Nyheter24.
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The group Axfood, which, among other things, owns Willys and Hemköp, is also aware of the increased crime in grocery stores. Photo: Claudio Bresciani/TT
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