Protecting high-value assets from the warehouse to the store

Picture this: a luxury store in Valencia loses €1 million in handbags overnight. In Naples, thieves walk away with €300,000 in jewellery. In the UK, a single raid strips a shop of over 100 phones and smartwatches worth nearly €115,000.

These are not film plots. They are real incidents reported across Europe this summer alone. According to TAPA EMEA, the leading industry association in Europe, the Middle East and Africa for supply chain resilience and security professionals, the latest figures highlight a worrying trend: organised crime is placing retail stores under growing pressure, targeting goods already on display in shops (TAPA EMEA, September 2025). And the scale is growing:

• The UK has seen over 530,000 shoplifting offences in the last year, up 20% year-on-year.
• French retailers face annual losses of €7.2 billion from theft.
• In Germany, 2024 marked the worst year ever for shoplifting, with losses nearing €5 billion.

Retail crime has always existed. But what’s different today is the scale and organisation behind it. Opportunistic shoplifters still account for a large share, but increasingly, well-organised and coordinated groups are targeting high-value assets (such as luxury goods, electronics, jewellery, bikes) items that can be resold quickly and at high margins.

From visibility to prevention

Many organisations still rely on cameras that provide surveillance but not consistent detection. True security lies in prevention. With OPTEX, intrusions can be detected as they happen, deterrents can be triggered before entry is gained, and alarms verified instantly, without costly false positives.

The bigger picture

The numbers across EMEA are clear: retail crime is rising, and the financial impact is staggering. But businesses are not powerless. With layered protection combining perimeter defence, real-time monitoring and in-store solutions, retailers can safeguard both their assets and their customers’ trust.

From warehouse to store, OPTEX ensures that high-value goods remain exactly where they belong: safe, secure and ready for sale.