Confcommercio reports rise in smash-and-grab crimes across Italy

A Confcommercio survey conducted in late 2026 reveals a significant rise in “spaccate”—crimes involving the smashing of shop windows—affecting businesses across Italy. Nationally, 34.8% of businesses report having already suffered such an incident, with 59.4% of those victims being targeted two or more times. Nearly half of all surveyed businesses (49.9%) express fear of being targeted in the coming months.

In Bari, 22% of businesses have experienced a smash-and-grab, and 35.9% of operators perceive these thefts as a growing trend. Similarly, in Palermo, 21.5% of businesses have been hit, while 48.5% fear future incidents. Business owners in these regions also report a decline in neighborhood livability, often citing microcrime and vandalism as primary factors.

To combat these thefts, 42.4% of businesses have made additional security investments, averaging 2,950 euros, primarily for video surveillance. While 82.3% of businesses hold some form of insurance, Patrizia Di Dio, Vice President of Confcommercio, noted that the damage often exceeds the value of stolen goods due to the high cost of repairs and operational disruptions.