It is the same with almost every systemic problem that seems small now but is cumulative and/or exponential.

And for sure, if it is a few stores, it is just an expensive prank. But scale it to the size of a nation or region in a country with a largely just-in-time food supply, and you're a week away from food riots, particularly if it is combined with other attacks, e.g., on the electrical and distribution system. Not a shot fired, and the country is in chaos in a week. Because no one bothered to harden the systems that seem trivial but are critical at scale.