The German Retail Federation (HDE) and the German Police Union (GdP) are calling for more decisive action against shoplifting. According to the associations, this causes retailers losses of more than three billion euros annually. The burden reached a new record high in 2026.
Particularly problematic are crimes committed on a commercial and gang-related basis. The German Retail Federation (HDE) and the German Police Union (GdP) estimate that about a third of shoplifting offenses fall into this category. At the same time, a large proportion of these crimes go undetected; the number of unreported cases is estimated at over 98 percent.
The associations are therefore calling for better staffing and technical resources for the police, public prosecutors' offices, and courts. Furthermore, they want open video surveillance in retail to be legally permissible and for the prerequisites for AI-supported video analysis to be examined.
Further demands include specialized public prosecutor's offices for organized shoplifting, improved information exchange between authorities, and more consistent asset confiscation in cases of organized crime. International cooperation among security agencies should also be expanded.
