Shoplifters netted goods to the value of €325m last year, up 5% on 2008, the Dutch retail association said on Wednesday.

The thefts are becoming increasingly professional, the association’s research showed. In particular there was a large increase in fake till receipts which thieves use to try to get money back on stolen items.
Last year, some 45,000 thefts were reported to the police, just 3% of the total. Some 31,000 shoplifers were arrested.
The organisation called for a more serious approach to punishment. Police can hand out fines of up to €250 but for professionals that is a joke, retailers spokesman Sander van Golberdinge said in the Telegraaf.