Alko has tightened security after a clear rise in shop thefts. According to the company, the number of thefts increased by 16 percent from 2024 to 2025, showing that the problem has grown across its stores.

The increase has been even sharper in the Helsinki metropolitan area, where shop thefts were up 31 percent. Alko’s security chief Hannu Huuhtanen says the company has introduced many measures this year to reduce theft, although he did not detail them.

The figures suggest that theft prevention has become a more urgent issue for the state-owned retailer. For Alko, the goal now is to slow the trend before it affects store operations and staff safety further.