To push the thefts in supermarkets is the high prices with inflation that affects the shopping cart and puts 5.6 million Italians at risk of food, who find themselves in a condition of absolute poverty.
This is what Coldiretti affirms, in commenting on the study of the Catholic University on thefts between shelves.
As a result of the price increases, according to Coldiretti, the number of those who are no longer able to guarantee themselves an adequate meal is destined to increase, but also of those who are tempted by the search for illegal solutions.
This is the tip of the iceberg of the crisis situation in which a growing number of people find themselves, many of whom are forced to resort to soup kitchens and much more frequently to food parcels, also due to the crisis generated by the pandemic.
People and families who have never before experienced such problematic living conditions.
"It is necessary to release as soon as possible the 200 million euros of funds from the Ministry of Agriculture to purchase Made in Italy quality basic food to be delivered to the poor".
asks the president of Coldiretti Ettore Prandini in underlining that "we need to speed up the presentation of calls for aid to the poor with the resources allocated to purchase quality food and drinks to be distributed to the new poor".
With inflation, thefts in supermarkets increase
Inventory differences of 3.48 billion, weighs out of expired goods
The high cost of living drives thefts in supermarkets.
This can be read in the study on 'Retail Security in Italy 2021', carried out by Crime & tech, a spin-off of the Catholic University, with the support of Checkpoint Systems Italia and the collaboration of the Safety Laboratory.
In 2020, shrinkage in supermarkets reached 3.48 billion euros, equal to 1.41% of annual turnover.
The food sector was the category most affected, with a value above the average (1.89% of turnover).
The overall phenomenon, however, does not only concern thefts, but also includes everything that expired and damaged goods do not make bills, also due to interruptions in the cold chain.
The typical example can also be the refrigerator product that is abandoned on the shelves or near the checkouts by the customer who changes his mind after putting it in the cart.
The times of greatest peak of thefts are mainly the evening one, between 18 and 20, and the lunch hour, between 12 and 14, especially on weekdays.
The average value of the stolen goods between early 2019 and mid-2021 was 39 euros.
At the forefront the theft of alcohol, candy and chocolate, canned products, meats and cheeses, coffee and perfumery.
Among the main external causes of shrinkage is shoplifting, with an increase in so-called 'thefts of necessity', equal to 66% of stolen goods, probably - according to the study by Crime & tech and Checkpoint Systems Italia - due to social and economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic.
This is followed by rejects and breakages, the exceeding of expiry limits or the deterioration of the goods, scraps, administrative errors and interruptions in the cold chain.
According to the study, large-scale distribution (GDO) was undoubtedly one of the sectors least affected by the pandemic.
With the first wave of Covid-19, supermarkets, and more generally food stores, have seen a considerable increase in sales compared to the pre-pandemic period.
At the end of the year, Istat again recorded a growth in sales of food goods in Italy (+ 1.7% in value and + 1.2% in volume), again demonstrating how the food sector is in excellent health.
However, due to inflation and the international energy crisis, which is also having significant repercussions on the notoriously energy-intensive food supply chain, this growth could soon come to a halt.
According to the February 2022 data from the Deloitte Global State of Consumer Tracker, 76% of Italians have already perceived a rise in prices for basic foodstuffs, compared to the immediately preceding month.
"Higher prices - it is indicated - mean lower consumption, but that's not all and the increase in the average price of the cart exposes retailers to the risk of seeing an increase in shrinkage".
"Analyzing the trend of the phenomenon and above all the impact that this criticality has had on the food sector of the large-scale retail trade in the last two years - they explain to Checkpoint Systems Italia - can prove useful to retailers with a view to planning strategies to cope with it".