-
Readers express frustration with BPCE equity release loan requests in France
Prêt viager hypothécaire is secured against a property and only has to be repaid from the borrower’s estate after death
-
French heat-reflecting paint firm in financial difficulty
Cool Roof enters administration while efforts are under way to secure a new investor
-
UK DWP considers digital life certificates to simplify pension checks in France
Many readers report problems with the current system
Crisis fuels rise in shoplifting
Meat, baby milk and cheap T-shirts move up the list of most-stolen items from shops in the economic crisis
MORE people are turning to shoplifting to get clothes and essential daily food items such as meat and baby milk, according to a new report.
The research by retail security expert Checkpoint Systems found a 3.6% increase in reported thefts from shops in France between July 2008 and July 2009 - representing about €5bn in lost sales.
Although high-value, easy to resell items such as razor blades, DVDs and bottles of whisky continued to be popular targets for shoplifters, day-to-day items are also creeping up the list.
C&A security Denis Marziac told Le Parisien: "Today shoplifters are not just taking leather, cashmere and expensive dresses, but also €5 T-shirts."
The report said that the economic crisis was contributing to the rise, but was not the only explanation.
Store thefts were in steady decline for 15 years until 2007, prompting retailers to scale back on the amount they spent on security. This could explain why incidents are on the rise again.
