Overview

• Raw coffee prices on commodity markets have jumped over 40 percent in the past year, elevating retail packs into luxury price brackets.
• EHI research shows coffee is a top shoplifting target and that retail theft losses reached €2.95 billion in 2024, with instances of entire shelves being emptied.
• Individual branches decide which items to secure, employing tactics such as glass vitrines, limiting packs per customer or offering coffee only at staff counters.
• Major chains describe these measures as limited to high-theft hotspots, with Rewe citing few nationwide cases and Kaufland using security boxes and private detectives at select stores.
• Retailers are deploying AI-powered cameras and alarm-equipped shelving as store owners warn that unchecked coffee losses could threaten small-market viability.