Last year 'more was stolen than was manufactured' in Jumbo supermarkets Instagram HLN

According to Jumbo, the increase in the number of shoplifting has been going on for some time. “This is not something that happened today or yesterday. We often discover people not scanning products or not paying at the cash register. People are becoming increasingly sophisticated about not paying for products. “You might sometimes be surprised to see how creative people are,” says the CEO. People take out products without paying.

According to Van Veen, more thefts are also due to there being more self-scanning machines in stores, with fewer cashiers. A third of thefts occur through self-scanners. “But stores where we don't have self-scanners don't necessarily suffer less from shoplifting. It also very much depends on the neighborhood. There are areas where it affects us more and there are areas where it affects us less,” the manager said. .

Thefts are not always reported. Van Veen doesn't provide details on how often this happens. The products that are stolen most often are chicken fillets, meat, fish, toothpaste and other cosmetics.

As a solution, security guards are stationed at the doors of an “increasing number” of supermarkets. People who steal are also prohibited from shopping. This year, Jumbo will focus on extensive camera surveillance. The CEO also issued a call to politicians on Wednesday to address the problem of shoplifting.

In many stores, thefts represent about 1 percent of sales. There are no separate numbers for Jumbo in Belgium.