Retail theft in Germany climbed to unprecedented levels in 2025. According to figures from the EHI Retail Institute, losses from shoplifting in German stores exceeded €3 billion last year, roughly a 25 percent increase compared with 2022. These figures have prompted industry and police unions to demand stronger measures to contain the problem.
Recorded offences and role of organized crime
Statistics from the German Federal Ministry of the Interior show that 283,096 shoplifting-related offences were recorded in 2025. Retailers estimate that about one third of the losses are linked to organized criminal groups, which they say operate with growing professionalism and scale.
The German Retail Federation (Handelsverband Deutschland, HDE) and the German Police Union (Gewerkschaft der Polizei, GdP) have jointly called for tougher criminal enforcement and expanded capacities across law enforcement and the judiciary.
What retailers and police are asking for
HDE and GdP proposals include:
- increasing the number of police officers, prosecutors and judges;
- upgrading the technological and IT infrastructure of relevant agencies;
- establishing a clear legal framework to permit open video surveillance inside stores;
- allowing artificial intelligence–based video-analytics systems to detect theft and to identify organized groups;
- closer cooperation between police, public prosecutors and courts.
Stefan Genth, Chief Executive Officer of HDE, warned that economic losses are breaking records while organized and commercially minded offender groups are becoming more professional. The federation argues that political intervention is needed and that those who steal as part of organized, commercial operations must face substantial consequences.
Targeted goods and who pays for the losses
According to retailers, thieves target high-value items that are easy to conceal and resell. At-risk products include premium alcoholic beverages, designer eyewear, belts and scarves, battery-powered electronic devices and digital storage media.
HDE also warns that some of the losses may ultimately be passed on to consumers: retailers could incorporate higher theft-related costs into prices, adding to inflationary pressure on households.
International parallel: UK experience
The German situation is not unique in Europe. The UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported 519,381 shoplifting incidents in the year ending September 2025, a 5 percent increase from 492,660 the previous year. In Britain, the issue has also involved violent incidents against shop staff in some cases, raising security costs and overall operating expenses for stores.
German retailers say they want to avoid the trajectory seen in the UK. They argue that addressing the problem will require not only more police and faster judicial processes, but also modern technology and coordinated action against organized criminal networks.
Next steps
The joint initiative from HDE and GdP aims at legal changes and redirected state resources. Implementation will depend on political decisions: the interior ministry and legislators will play a central role in defining the legal framework for in-store cameras, data-protection safeguards and rules for new technologies.
Both retailers and law enforcement stress that the goal is not only to deter opportunistic shoplifters but to detect and dismantle larger organized groups and to restore a safer retail environment.
