Several grocery stores are implementing security alarms on various goods due to a rise in shoplifting incidents. This measure is confirmed by the Salling Group, which owns major retailers like Netto, Bilka, and Føtex.

The decision to use security alarms is a response to the growing problem of theft affecting a broader range of individuals. Christoffer Roslyng Green, a press consultant at the Salling Group, stated that the company is seeing an increase in theft among types of people they would not normally suspect.

Each store has the autonomy to decide which items are most vulnerable and require security alarms. Expensive items like select meat cuts and wine are frequently targeted and may be kept out of reach or equipped with alarms.

Statistics Denmark reports a significant 77 percent increase in reported shoplifting cases since 2021. In the past year alone, there were 27,996 reported cases of shoplifting, with grocery stores accounting for 70 percent of these reports.

The Danish Chamber of Commerce conducted a survey revealing that eight out of ten companies have experienced an increase in shoplifting in recent years, highlighting the widespread nature of the problem. Previously, shoplifting was primarily attributed to organized criminal groups, but now it also involves young people and elderly individuals.

Data from Statistics Denmark indicates that the vast majority of shoplifting cases result in a conviction. In 2024, 97 percent of the cases concluded with an adverse decision, where the person was found guilty. About nine out of ten of these decisions resulted in a fine.