Why you're likely to have your bags checked at a Swiss supermarket

In Switzerland, fewer and fewer shoppers are queuing up at manned cash registers to pay for their purchases.

Most are using either handheld scanners provided by stores like Coop and Migros, which are linked to an app on their smartphones, or else use self-scanning checkouts.

At the end of December, Swiss media reported that discounters Aldi and Lidl are carrying out bag checks more frequently in order to curb the rising number of shoplifting incidents. 

"We work with external security service providers who carry out such checks,” Lidl’s spokesperson confirmed.

Migros and Coop also rely on various security measures, which include random bag checks, but point out that they are rare and not systematic.

Why have these measures been increasing lately?

More frequent shoplifting incidents are to blame.

According to a Migros spokesperson, "one percent of sales are ‘forgotten’ to be scanned at the checkouts."

This may not seem like much, but with sales of around 30 billion francs a year, this corresponds to a loss of 300 million francs — costs that are ultimately passed on to honest customers.

Figures from the Federal Statistical Office confirm the rising number of these thefts in recent years.

In 2022, for instance, 19,781 cases were reported; the following year, that number climbed to 24,252.

Do you have to submit to a check in a supermarket?

If you have nothing to hide, it is best to comply.

However, according to Livia Kunz, a lawyer at the Consumer Protection Foundation, customers have the right to refuse to have their bags searched.

But if that happens, the store will likely either file a police report or call the police directly.

Does this mean Switzerland's population is less honest than before?

A study carried out several years ago compared rates of civic honesty in 40 countries around the world.

Its results showed that Switzerland is home to the most "morally correct" people,

"On the whole, countries which are more democratic and where citizens feel they are a part of the decision-making process tend to score higher on civic honesty,” the study found.

The rise in shoplifting incidents does not change the overall honesty of Switzerland's residents, especially since some such incidents could have been inadvertent: 

READ ALSO: Why picking up shopping bags in Switzerland could carry a hefty price