This year, the number of shopkeepers in Rio de Janeiro who were robbed increased, as did the expenses of merchants trying to guarantee the security of their establishments. This is what the survey by the Shopkeepers’ Club of Rio de Janeiro (CDLRio) and the Shopkeepers Union of the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro (SindilojasRio) points out.
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The survey called “Safety Spending in Commercial Establishments” surveyed 350 merchants. Of those interviewed, 180 declared that they had their establishments robbed, stolen or robbed, about 10% more than in the same period last year.
Also according to the survey, the Rio de Janeiro retail trade spent R$ 300 million on security from January to March this year, almost 5% more than in the same period in 2021. The investment was with the hiring of security guards, electronic equipment, railings, door shields, window reinforcement and insurance.
Of the total expenses, R$ 150 million were spent on private security and guards, R$ 100 million on electronic surveillance equipment and R$ 50 million on railings, shielding, reinforced doors, windows and insurance.
In a note sent to the press, Aldo Gonçalves, president of CDLRio and SindilojasRio, argues that the cost represents yet another tribute paid by shopkeepers, “already massacred by the weight of bureaucracy and the high tax burden”.
“Urban violence in the city of Rio de Janeiro has greatly affected commerce, which has had a profound influence on consumer behavior, who on the one hand are afraid to leave their homes and on the other hand reduce their expenses, including shopping,” he said. the unionist.
Source: BdF Rio de Janeiro
Editing: Mariana Pitasse