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Shoplifter in Merseburg: Search for brazen theft started!
Shoplifting in Merseburg: 24-year-old escapes with stolen goods; Police search for stolen motorcycle and investigate accident.
Shoplifter in Merseburg: Search for brazen theft started!
In Merseburg, shoplifting has once again caused a stir. On Monday evening, around 6:30 p.m., a 24-year-old man was caught by an employee of a discount store on the Courtsrain putting goods worth around 4 euros in his backpack and passing through the checkout area without paying. Although the employee spoke to him and held him down, the perpetrator managed to break away and leave the store with the stolen goods. The police were informed and were able to meet him on site to file a complaint, reports [Saxony-Anhalt](https://www.sachsen-anhalt.de/bs/pressemitigungen/polizei?tx_tsarssinclude_pi1%5Baction%5D=single& tx_tsarssinclude_pi1%5Bcontroller%5D=Base&tx_tsarssinclude_pi1%5Bud%5D=605537&cHash=0bd8d0b31e68a40cb70ca9ced9e08428).
The frequency of such incidents highlights a serious problem in retail. According to a study, shoplifting in Germany caused record damage of almost three billion euros in 2024, an increase of 4.6 percent compared to the previous year. Total retail losses amounted to almost €4.95 billion, and over half of these losses resulted from customer theft. Of the 426,000 reports of shoplifting in 2023, the highest number since 2006, many were made by experienced perpetrators. The use of self-service checkouts is cited as one reason for this development. After all, three out of four retailers report an increase in theft, according to an analysis by Tagesschau.
The stronghold of thefts
Popular stolen goods include alcoholic beverages, branded clothing, sneakers and electrical appliances. Drugstores are particularly affected because many small and expensive products such as perfumes and cosmetics can easily be stolen. These problems are exacerbated by staff shortages and long opening hours. During the day, it is estimated that around 100,000 shoplifters go undetected every day, with an average value of 117 euros. Despite the massive loss, retailers feel abandoned because only around 0.5 percent of thefts are reported, describes Deutschlandfunk.
In addition, there was another incident in Merseburg on the same afternoon when a 25-year-old man was the victim of a motorcycle theft. Unknown perpetrators managed to force open the garage on Knendorfer Weg and stole his motorcycle, a Kawasaki, worth around 5,000 euros. The police searched for clues and are continuing the manhunt.
Accident in Merseburg
The police were also called upon to deal with a traffic accident on Monday afternoon. A 38-year-old man who was driving a Mercedes Vito collided with an 87-year-old cyclist on Klobikauer Straße. The cyclist was slightly injured and had to be taken to hospital for medical treatment. A preliminary drug test on the driver was positive, whereupon his driver's license details were confiscated.
The increasing number of thefts in retail affects not only retailers, but also their customers, as the costs of theft prevention measures are ultimately reflected in pricing. Retailers have invested around 1.55 billion euros in theft prevention in 2023 in order to be prepared against the rapidly increasing numbers. However, there remains hope for transparent and faster court rulings that should ensure more security in stores.