Business · Companies · 3 hrs ago
Spanish retailers lose €8 million a day to theft and other losses
Spanish retailers lose about €8 million a day to theft and other losses, including administrative errors and supplier fraud.
The latest industry barometer puts annual losses at €2.93 billion, up 4% on the previous year and equal to 1.1% of retail sales.
Shoplifting accounts for 81% of the losses, which the barometer says can reduce businesses’ ability to invest and create jobs.
Among the most commonly stolen goods are wine and spirits, razor blades, headphones, clothing and pet food.
Customers are blamed for 63% of losses, and two-thirds of retailers say self-checkouts see more theft than staffed checkouts.
Nearly half of reported thefts involve repeat offenders, while 46% are attributed to organised groups that steal goods for resale.
Retailers say aggression toward staff has increased, and all those surveyed use cameras, alarms and anti-theft systems.
Spanish retailers lose about €8 million a day to “unknown losses,” including shoplifting, administrative errors and supplier fraud.
The losses totalled €2.932 billion a year, up 4% from the previous year, and equalled 1.1% of sector sales.
Shoplifting accounted for 81% of the losses, according to the latest Barometer of Theft in Commercial Distribution.
Customers were responsible for 63% of losses, while store staff accounted for 18%.
The report said 67% of retailers saw more theft at self-checkout tills than at cashier-operated tills.
- Who
- Spanish retailers, including small shops and large stores, are affected.
- What
- Retailers lose about €8 million a day to shoplifting, administrative errors and supplier fraud.
- When
- The figures are from the latest barometer, reported on 4 November 2026.
- Where
- Retail shops in Spain.
- Why
- Losses include shoplifting, administrative errors and supplier fraud. The report says shoplifting accounts for 81% of the total.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Losses represented 0.9% of sector sales.
The share fell to 0.74% of sector sales.
El Mundo reported the latest barometer’s findings, including losses equal to 1.1% of sector sales.
- Daily losses
- About €8 million
- Annual losses
- €2.932 billion
- Change from previous year
- Up 4%
- Share of sector sales
- 1.1%
- Share attributed to shoplifting
- 81%
- Self-checkout theft
- 67% of retailers said theft was higher there than at cashier-operated tills