Commercial activities most affected by theft

Theft, shoplifting and armed robberies are a plague for Italian traders. In Europe, Italy is one of the countries most affected by thefts, in fact commercial establishments in our country suffer considerable damage 4.8 billion annual cost. Thefts that do not only cause inconvenience on an economic level, due to the loss of the goods and its consequent failure to collect, but also on a health level due to the possible attacks that owners and/or employees of the business may suffer during a robbery.

All businesses can be subject to theft but there are certain businesses that are more targeted by thieves. But what are the stolen products and most affected shopkeepers from robberies in Italy?

At the top of the ranking we find the food sector, in particular supermarkets and large chains find alcoholic beverages, such as liqueurs and champagne, cheeses, meat, sweets and canned fish among the most stolen products. In second place we find clothing and cosmetic products, including perfumes. Immediately following, tobacconists, bars and service stations are among the commercial activities most subject to theft, both of cash and goods, and robberies. Technology stores are also heavily affected, with thieves targeting cell phones and earphones in particular. Optics and jewelery shops, on the other hand, are victims of more expert thieves, skilled in deactivating the existing alarm system to act undisturbed. These are also the fastest thefts, the average theft in these businesses is around 1 minute and thieves are able to steal tens of thousands of euros in such a short time. While department stores are often subject to theft by rather large gangs. In these activities the thieves are very expert and trained, they deactivate the alarm system, they even break down walls or gates to enter with vans on which to load the goods. Pharmacies, on the other hand, compared to the commercial activities listed above, are more subject to robberies, even violent ones.

What are the most used security measures?

Starting from the assumption that shop thefts are now not caused only by naive young people who try to detach anti-shoplifting devices, today small gangs of criminals are spreading who use new technologies, such as shielded bags or devices to deactivate the alarm system.

On average, a theft lasts less than 2 minutes, insufficient time for the intervention of anyone alerted by the burglar alarm. For this reason, traders no longer rely on a classic alarm system but choose to rely on advanced and latest generation security measures, and end up allocating on average 0.5% of their turnover to security measures.

The most used measures are video surveillance systems, alarms entrusted to third parties and Eas, i.e. electronic tags or labels. Nine out of ten traders rely on security cameras: the most innovative on the market are wireless, with 24-hour recording and remotely connected to an App and an Operations Centre. Nowadays, shopkeepers prefer to have a team of professionals behind them capable of monitoring what happens by intervening in the event of theft but, above all, an armed robbery. For robberies, SOS buttons with silent signal are a valid tool for self-defense. Installing a button in a non-visible point, perhaps under the cash register, allows you to come into direct contact with the necessary help and avoid risking your life unnecessarily.

In addition to alarms and SOS buttons, it is good practice for business owners to take out insurance that protects their business and their assets. The coverage Damage to Property and Contents has the objective of protecting workplaces and their contents (such as goods, machinery, professional equipment, furniture) as well as from theft, robberies, vandalism or the outbreak of a fire.

The Lokky policy in fact protects not only from the theft of goods, but also from theft of money and compensates for damage caused by thieves and robbers such as acts of vandalism or damage to things or premises. The ‘First Absolute Risk’ form of insurance serves precisely to protect the goods and contents of the commercial activity for which one feels mainly exposed to risk. If, however, you intend to extend the basic coverage to obtain greater protection for your business, it is possible to take out some optional guarantees:

• Valuables carrier integration;
• Leasing machinery;
• External distributors: extends theft and robbery guarantees to external distributors;
• Theft guarantee extension for street vendors;
• Warranty extension for valuables in the safe.

Furthermore, premium reductions are foreseen for premises protected by an anti-theft alarm system or monitored during the closing period by an armed guard.