At one of the stands, signs show prices of 25 euros for five 70-gram packets of 50% Iberian cebo ham and 10.99 euros for four 40-gram packets of 50% cebo shoulder ham. However, despite bearing their corresponding security seals, the outer boxes are empty: there is no trace of the sliced products inside. The display could be a measure designed to deter potential theft.
The scene coincides with the publication of a new Barometer on Retail Theft, which puts figures on a problem concerning the sector. Spanish retailers lost 2.932 billion euros in 2025 due to so-called unknown loss, which includes theft, administrative errors and supplier fraud, equivalent to 1.1% of their revenue. Some 81% of these losses are directly related to theft, while 54% of the companies surveyed acknowledge that external theft increased over the past year.
IBERIAN SLICED PRODUCTS AMONG THE MOST COVETED ITEMS
The report identifies the products that most often disappear from stores. In food and beverages, wines and spirits top the ranking, but Iberian sliced products come second, ahead of chocolate. Razor blades lead thefts in the perfumery and beauty category, while headphones top electronics thefts, followed by mobile phone accessories and video games. The theft of wet pet food and antiparasitic products for pets is also increasing.
