Liquor has become the most stolen product in supermarkets so far in 2024, according to a study by STC, a company specialized in protecting points of sale. They are followed by oil, with exponential growth in recent months, Iberian products, shaving products and wines.
There are several changes from last year's report. If in 2023 spirits, wine and Iberian products occupied the top three positions, now it is olive oil that displaces Iberian products and removes a classic from the top positions: tuna and bonito.
However, this is not the case in all communities, because tuna and bonito are highly coveted products for thieves in supermarkets in Cantabria, the Basque Country and Ceuta and Melilla, according to the results obtained by this company.
The rise of olive oil is very striking, although not surprising. "In 2023, oil was not in the TOP, it was only mentioned as a differential product in two autonomous communities. Now it is the main problem in eight of the communities. Oil from recognized brands and private labels is stolen equally," the director of STC Nedap, Salvador Cañones, says in a statement.
And they attribute it to the price of this kitchen staple. Extra virgin olive oil alone accumulates a year-on-year increase of 72.8%, according to a study carried out by Facua-Consumidores en Acción.
By communities, if we look at the most stolen native products, the study found that cheese was the most stolen in Andalusia or the Balearic Islands. On the other hand, in Aragon, meats. In Extremadura, cosmetics.
According to the study, the age of the people who perpetrate these thefts ranges between 20 and 60 years. Finally, they point out that thefts are mostly carried out by professional and organized gangs, followed by people who repeat offenses.
