Middle classes fuel shoplifting spree

Published on Tuesday 10 November 2009 21:31

AFFLUENT shoppers hit by the recession are fuelling a shoplifting crime wave, figures released yesterday revealed.

Expensive clothes, speciality meats, champagne and high-end cosmetics are among the items that are increasingly disappearing from shelves, according to the Global Retail Theft Barometer report.

The survey of more than 1,000 retailers worldwide found more "middle-class" people were stealing in order to maintain their standards of living. The figures put the UK top of the European retail crime league, with shoplifting costing the industry 4.88billion this year.

Shoplifting at clothing stores has risen 8.8 per cent in 12 months. Thefts of alcohol, fresh meat, fish and cheese top the list, while shoplifting at convenience stores is up 8.4 per cent.

Neil Matthews, of the retail security firm Checkpoint Systems, said: "We are seeing more instances of amateur thieves stealing goods for their own personal use, rather than to sell on, than before. This is epitomised in the recent rise of the middle-class shoplifter, someone who has turned to theft to sustain their standard of living.

"This is driving theft of items such as cosmetics, perfumes and face creams, alcohol, fresh meat, mobile phones, computer games and DVDs, as well as small electrical goods."

It is estimated that British stores invested more than 926million to prevent theft last year – a "tax" on every UK household equivalent to 227, according to Mr Matthews.