The most stolen product in supermarkets is no longer alcohol.

BarcelonaThe excessive increase in the price of olive oil, which already began to skyrocket last year and earned the nicknameliquid gold, has placed this product among the most stolen in Spanish supermarkets, and, in fact, it is the favorite of thieves in twelve communities, including Catalonia. In this way, the oil makes the overtaking and overthrowsalcoholic beverages and liquors, which topped the list of thefts since the first study in 2022.

These data are taken from the fourth study on supermarket theft by STC, the company dedicated to anti-theft protection on national supermarket shelves. The ranking was compiled based on protection strategies and data collected throughout 2024 from the main national and regional food chains, which encompass more than 10,500 supermarkets. Following oil, wines, and spirits, the list is completed by Iberian products, shaving products, and canned tuna and bonito.

The study highlights the overtaking Olive oil, which barely appeared on the 2022 list, made its stellar appearance, placing second last year, and this year it ranks as the leader in thefts in the vast majority of Spanish communities. According to Salvador Cañones, managing partner of STC, "there is a direct relationship between the meteoric rise of olive oil theft and the increase in prices to which it has been exposed." Although prices have been falling in recent months, professional thieves have found a goldmine. A small portion of society in percentage terms, but a large portion in absolute volume, has "accommodated" itself to buying stolen products at a price "substantially lower than that of the item on the shelf," he explains.

Catalonia: Coffee and Liqueurs

The study also analyzes the most stolen products in each autonomous community. Specifically in Catalonia, after olive oil, the most popular item among thieves is liquor, followed by coffee, tuna, and chocolate. In fact, the surprise in this case is coffee. Although it was already the most stolen product in Catalonia last year, in this edition of the study it ranks as the product of greatest concern in this region due to the sharp increase in the number of thefts.

At the national level, Iberian products, wine, and even select preserves like bonito or tuna belly are consistently among the most stolen. "Every year we see that the most stolen products are not basic necessities, but rather high-priced products. Rice, pasta, or even cheap ham are not disappearing, but rather Iberian ham. With these data, we could agree that the starvation theft, although it exists, it is not relevant," Cañones details.

However, according to STC, supermarket chains do not predict a change in trend: 71% believe that in 2025 thefts will continue to rise, 24% believe that they will remain the same and only 5% believe. that they subsequently resell the product– remains worrying, an increase in theft committed by repeat offenders has been observed.