“In Ukraine, the number of thefts of goods from stores is increasing. Products are on the shelves of supermarkets in protective packaging with magnets, and this sometimes surprises Ukrainians, because this list already includes ordinary and inexpensive mass goods. This is not only a preventive measure, but also a reaction to the real dynamics of crimes, explained the director of the security department of the Varus network Valery Bily.”, — write on: ua.news
In Ukraine, the number of thefts of goods from stores is increasing. Products are on the shelves of supermarkets in protective packaging with magnets, and this sometimes surprises Ukrainians, because this list already includes ordinary and inexpensive mass goods.
This is not only a preventive measure, but also a reaction to the real dynamics of crimes, explained the director of the security department of the Varus network Valery Bily.
“Unfortunately, we, like many other representatives of the industry, record an increase in the number of attempted thefts. The difficult economic situation in the country, caused by the war, definitely affects the behavior of consumers,” said Bily.
Statistics confirm the negative dynamics. Comparing data for 9 months of 2024 and 2025, Varus recorded a 27.4% increase in the number of detected cases of product concealment.
“The financial aspect is even more revealing: the total amount for which they tried to steal goods increased by 139.15% – from UAH 1.16 million to UAH 2.77 million. As a result, the average amount of one detention almost doubled – from UAH 83.20 to UAH 156.17. This shows that attackers are increasingly targeting more expensive products,” said the director of the Varus network security department.
TOP-10 products, according to Varus, that are most often stolen in supermarkets:
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chocolate (especially bars and popular bars);
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butter;
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hard cheese (small packaging);
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melted cheese;
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raw smoked sausage (small packages);
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coffee (instant and in beans);
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expensive weight candies;
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shampoos;
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alcoholic beverages (mainly small volume 0.1-0.37 l and elite products);
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feed for animals in portion packs
The use of additional means of protection, such as anti-theft sensors and safes (an anti-theft box or a protective box to protect small and valuable goods), is a retail response to objective challenges, explains the head of security of the retail network. The presence of a protective element often forces a potential offender to abandon his intentions.
“In addition, retail is experiencing a general shortage of personnel on the labor market, particularly in the field of security. This prompts us to optimize processes and strengthen technical controls in order to compensate for these risks and ensure the safety of the product,” said Bely.
There is no single unified system that would equally well protect goods in all markets.
“We concentrate on problematic product categories and supermarkets with the highest risks. An individual loss reduction plan is being developed for each such store,” the speaker notes.
To protect the goods, the network can install video cameras throughout the trading floor to record potential violations. But this will require significant one-time investments and human resources in their further maintenance.
If you hang a magnet on each expensive product, it will slow down the checkout time and may create additional inconveniences and scare away customers, so supermarkets have to balance.
“We optimize the use of sensors, focusing only on problematic categories, minimize the use of hard clips that need to be removed at the checkout, and in some store formats even abandon anti-theft frames at the exit, relying on other control methods,” says Bely.
Inconveniences from the presence of a large number of protective mechanisms are also confirmed by visitors to supermarkets. In particular, the capital entrepreneur Mykhailo said that he prefers self-service checkouts in trade establishments – and therefore avoids goods with magnets.
“I don’t like talking to cashiers, that’s why I buy products without magnets and additional protective elements – after all, in order to “demagnetize” them when buying at a self-checkout, you need to contact a sales hall employee. That’s why in the store I choose products without such elements, in ordinary packaging, in order to buy more quickly. Even if I like the product in special packaging more or is cheaper than “ordinary”, he explained he.
While writing the material, we also contacted other retail chains of Ukraine: Novus, Eco-Market, ATB and Silpo, but did not receive a response.
In Ukraine, the prices of domestically produced food products continue to rise rapidly. Meat and meat products rose in price the most.
We will remind you that last week unexpected changes were recorded in the vegetable and fruit and berry market in Ukraine.
Also, the prices of meat and eggs jumped by a third in a year.
