Theft worries: Reformhaus in Berlin is fighting for growing crime

Theft worries: Reformhaus in Berlin is fighting for growing crime

In Berlin-Charlottenburg, the couple Carolin and Marc-Andreas Demski experience a real storm of shoplifts in their reform house "Demski". Despite a stable regular customer, such as face creams and fresh juices, they have to take drastic measures: olive oil and expensive nutritional supplements are kept behind glass doors to keep the thieves away. "We lose about 10,000 euros per week through theft," reports Marc-Andreas Demski, which has become threatening to exist for them. An increase in thefts can be observed in the past two years, with alarming 40,000 registered cases in Berlin alone in 2023, which the police officers prove, together with a nationwide increase of 23 percent compared to the previous year, such as rbb24 reported.

rising costs and new measures

The numbers are so high that the retail trade in 2023 spent over 1.55 billion euros for theft prevention measures, which is ultimately surrounded by the prices of honest customers, as reported Deutschlandfunk . While the police are concerned about the increasing number of professional thieves gangs, as they have been recorded in recent years, the Demski team does not want to give up despite sleepless nights. Almost 5,000 more thefts than in 2022 are a clear sign that the pressure on retailers is increasing.

The shopiezes are not only occasional criminals; Stem customers also claw, and organized gangs are targeting high -quality products. In a terrifying incident, an employee of Carolin Demski was even physically attacked after theft. The demographic diversity among the perpetrators is striking; In addition to professional gangs, younger and older people are increasingly stealing. The business must adapt: ​​While cameras are necessary to catch thieves, more and more shopkeepers are considering ideas to reduce the theft rate, such as the proposal of an antique dealer, to raise entrance fees.