Shoplifting rate in Belgium above European average

Belgian shop owners last year lost €927 million due to stolen merchandise. The Belgian figures contrast sharply with the European trend, which shows a decrease in retail crime across Europe, according to the Global Retail Theft Barometer. The global study is commissioned by Checkpoint Systems, a manufacturer of security products for the retail industry.

According to the 2014-2015 study, retail crime and theft prevention measures in shops cost Belgian families €266 per year. On a global scale, employee or supplier fraud is the greatest source of loss.

Retail crime in Belgium accounts for 1.19% of total retail sales, well above the European average of 1.05%. Nearly half of the cases of retail crime (48%) are shoplifting, for a total revenue loss of €445 million. Employee theft represents 29% of all retail crime in Belgium, for a loss of €296 million. Another 10% of retail crime, or a €92 million loss, is due to supplier fraud, and 13% of total revenue is lost due to administrative errors.