MILAN — Rome’s Carabinieri, or paramilitary police, said the newly opened H&M store on the city’s Via del Corso was robbed Monday morning. A man dressed as a security guard forced an employee at gunpoint to hand over 60 thousand euros, or about $82.5 thousand at current exchange rates, before jumping into a getaway car and fleeing the scene. An investigation is underway.
On Tuesday the Swedish retail giant confirmed the incident. “No one was injured, neither staff nor our clients. For the company, this is the most important thing,” the company said. “Internal procedures were immediately activated to assist and support the affected employees in the best way possible. At this time, H&M cannot reveal details surrounding the robbery, out of respect for the authorities’ investigations.”
The H&M hit comes on the heels of an October robbery at the Zara store in Via del Corso, and numerous other thefts at retailers in Rome and Milan. According to the Italian police, December is typically a bad month for burglaries.