Spanish supermarkets block olive oil

Spanish supermarkets block olive oil as shoplifting increases

Bottles of olive and sunflower oil are on sale in a Malaga supermarket, protected with a padlock and chain to prevent theft. In Spain, the world’s largest olive oil producer, supermarkets are locking up bottles of this staple cooking oil as prices skyrocket and thefts increase.

One-liter bottles of extra virgin olive oil are selling for as much as 14.5 euros (15.77 dollars) in some supermarkets, catapulting olive oil into the category of products sold by retailers equipped with security labels, as well as spirits, cosmetics, and household appliances.

“We’re seeing a sharp increase in shoplifting,” said Ruben Navarro, CEO of the supermarket chain Tu Super, which operates 30 stores in the Spanish region from Andalusia. “Olive oil has become an ideal product to steal.”

Olive oil prices, now officially €8 per liter, have risen 150% in Spain over the past two years as a drought and scorching weather in the south hit the olive harvest. Organized criminal gangs are stealing the oil to resell it, Navarro said.

Since September, Tu Super has been chaining large 5-liter bottles of olive oil together and locking them on shelves to prevent theft. “It’s a crazy, extreme measure, but it’s worked,” Navarro said.

Tu Super isn’t the only one increasing security: In certain Carrefour and Auchan supermarkets in Madrid, one-liter bottles have security tags that must be removed by staff. /p>

STC, a Spanish company that provides anti-theft solutions to retailers, saw a twelvefold increase in orders from supermarkets for devices to protect olive oil bottles this summer, managing partner Salvador Canones told Reuters.

Spanish police also discovered thefts of olive oil from mills and arrested two people in October as part of an investigation into the theft of 56 tons of extra virgin olive oil.

Spanish families typically buy olive oil in bulk for cooking. As one of the world’s largest consumers of olive oil, they have already significantly reduced their sales: According to NielsenIQ, sales volumes of extra virgin olive oil fell by 17% in the 12 months to September.

While thefts of olives and oil have increased in particular, the measures taken by supermarkets also reflect a broader increase in shoplifting. Spain’s main trade association, CEOE, said there had been a 30% increase in repeat thefts against retailers in 2022 and a further 12% increase so far in 2023.

In Spain, theft of items worth less than €400 is not punishable unless it is a repeat offense. Navarro said thieves are taking advantage of fewer store employees, and the frequently abusive behavior of shoplifters toward workers is exacerbating the labor shortage.

“Our own workers live in fear after the thefts… Some of them even end up quitting their jobs,” he said.

At Aceitedelcampo, we recommend storing olive oil in a cool, dark place, in opaque glass bottles, with the cap always tightly closed.