Supposed loophole becomes expensive Woman (40) steals four times from Migros Teo - fine

She thought she had found a loophole in the system - but the video surveillance caught her out. A 40-year-old Swiss woman stole four times from a Migros Teo and now has to dig into her pockets.

Is shoplifting in a self-service store really less risky? A 40-year-old Swiss woman should no longer be asking herself this question - because she was caught four times and fined.

Between the end of August and mid-October 2024, the woman visited Migros Teo in Ohringen at various times of the day and stole food worth a total of CHF 299.40, writes the "Landbote" newspaper. Her trick: she scanned some items at the checkout, but canceled the payment process on her Cumulus app and left the store without paying.

The woman was not a first-time offender. A few years ago, she had already been convicted of similar thefts in a staffed Migros store in Zurich's Weinland region. The consequence: a ten-year ban from all Migros stores - which she also broke with her crimes.

Heavy sentence for repeat offender

As the woman already had several previous convictions, the public prosecutor's office in Winterthur/Unterland took action. The verdict: the woman must pay 70 daily rates of 110 francs each, a total of 7700 francs. She also has to pay a fine of 500 francs and additional fees.

The case throws a spotlight on security in self-service stores. Spar and Valora have already discontinued their experiments with unmanned stores due to theft and vandalism. Migros, on the other hand, continues to rely on the Teo concept, but emphasizes that all stores are fully video, sensor and audio-monitored.

When a Teo store was opened in Winterthur Grüze, the question was raised as to whether the store was really safe from thieves.

Migros spokeswoman Silke Seichter did not want to comment to the "Landbote" whether more thefts actually occur in Teo stores than in conventional Migros stores. However, she made it clear that every theft is reported to the police.