H&M’s chief executive officer Helena Helmersson said on Wednesday shoplifting has been a particular problem in the US, and the world’s No. 2 fashion retailer is looking at taking steps such as increasing security in its stores.
“What is standing out is … the US,” she told Reuters in an interview, adding that retail theft is an industry-wide issue.
Her comments come after the company’s chief financial officer said that shoplifting has been rising in recent months and that the fast-fashion retailer was looking at solutions.
The executives are the latest at a major retailer to warn about the growing problem.
“It is an increasing problem in many markets,” CFO Adam Karlsson said on a call with media after the company released quarterly results.
By Helen Reid and Josephine Mason; Editor: Jan Harvey
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The British Retail Consortium reported that store theft increased by 27 percent last year across the UK’s 10 largest cities.
