Shoplifting on the rise

[seventh bullet]

that's my issue with 'victimless crime' bollocks. some guy/girl on average wage is being made to feel stupid, threatened and generally like shit every day - so there's your victim.

I've worked in retail for 20 yrs. Given the cost of living crisis (when has it not been a crisis for poor people?) if I see someone shoplifting, especially food, then no I didn't. I saw a young woman stealing toy figures once. I saw her, she saw me, then I smiled and carried on walking. If she wants to treat her kid or somebody else's, I think the shareholders will surivive.

Some colleagues are a bit sad, with so much effort in defending the profits of a company that regularly commits wage theft against its employees, including them. Abusive behaviour from customers towards staff is different, though. Your entitled middle class types can be the worst for that. It's not just the lads who look like they fell into the final reductions rack of a TK Maxx.

 

[Saul Goodman]

Some colleagues are a bit sad, with so much effort in defending the profits of a company that regularly commits wage theft against its employees, including them.

I can never understand why some people put their lives in danger for a company that doesn't give a flying fuck about them.

 

[Elpenor]

I almost accidentally shoplifted this evening

I bought a few things at Lidl, and its a store with no self service tills. So the till assistant scans all your items. One of the items I bought, the first to be scanned in fact, was a bottle of whisky, so the person working on the tills, who can’t have been much older than 18, had to remove the security tag. They obviously then forgot to scan it, handed the bottle to me and I bagged it.

It was only when they told me how much my shopping was - less than the cost of the whisky - that I realised what had happened. I took the bottle out of the bag and said I am sorry, I don’t think you’ve scanned it. I think they must have been quite new as I hadn’t seen them working there before and seemed a bit unsure of the tills. Anyway for a second they looked like theyd burst into tears, but they were ever so grateful, thanking me profusely and telling me I’d get good karma for what I did.

Not sure what would have happened to them if I’d walked out without paying for it - I certainly wouldn’t have done this deliberately as its the sort of integrity issue that could mean I lose my job - and I did wonder if the poor person on the tills could lose their job over it (seeing as they’re new).

It did make me wonder how often this happens when they need to remove a security tag

 

[nightowl]

There's a Co-op near me where shoplifters regularly go in, fill their arms with bottles of booze and walk out without even trying to hide it. They used to have a security guard in there but no longer for some reason and apparently the shop staff have been told just to let them go, not even try and intervene.

 

[savoloysam]

When I was in the supermarket earlier someone didn't have the tag removed from the washing powder so it set off the alarm when they left the store.

They are putting security tags on washing powder now. That is pretty sad because that isn't something people would steal to sell it's because they need it and can't afford it

 

[pbsmooth]

When I was in the supermarket earlier someone didn't have the tag removed from the washing powder so it set off the alarm when they left the store.

They are putting security tags on washing powder now. That is pretty sad because that isn't something people would steal to sell it's because they need it and can't afford it

I think washing powder has always been one of the most popular things people steal to sell - people always need it, doesn't go off, expensive for the size/weight.

 

[Nanker Phelge]

There's a Co-op near me where shoplifters regularly go in, fill their arms with bottles of booze and walk out without even trying to hide it. They used to have a security guard in there but no longer for some reason and apparently the shop staff have been told just to let them go, not even try and intervene.

It all gets very ugly at my local co-op. The security guard there treats tackling shop lifters like big game hunting. He likes a tussle. It usually results in much shouting and swearing, pushing and pulling at the front door as customers are trying to come and go. It's not nice. He even gets aggressive if someone hasn't paid for a carrier bag. He's fairly fearless for an older gent, but he don't care. He's not letting that rib-eye go.

 

[MickiQ]

I almost accidentally shoplifted this evening

I bought a few things at Lidl, and its a store with no self service tills. So the till assistant scans all your items. One of the items I bought, the first to be scanned in fact, was a bottle of whisky, so the person working on the tills, who can’t have been much older than 18, had to remove the security tag. They obviously then forgot to scan it, handed the bottle to me and I bagged it.

It was only when they told me how much my shopping was - less than the cost of the whisky - that I realised what had happened. I took the bottle out of the bag and said I am sorry, I don’t think you’ve scanned it. I think they must have been quite new as I hadn’t seen them working there before and seemed a bit unsure of the tills. Anyway for a second they looked like theyd burst into tears, but they were ever so grateful, thanking me profusely and telling me I’d get good karma for what I did.

Not sure what would have happened to them if I’d walked out without paying for it - I certainly wouldn’t have done this deliberately as its the sort of integrity issue that could mean I lose my job - and I did wonder if the poor person on the tills could lose their job over it (seeing as they’re new).

It did make me wonder how often this happens when they need to remove a security tag

I accidentally shoplifted at Sainsbury couple of weeks back, Having gone through the scab tills I arrived back at the car and lifted the shopping bag into the boot to notice two items in the trolley that must have been hidden by the bag. Checked the receipt and they weren't on it. Debated whether to go back but decided that would probably be more hassle than it was worth.

 

[Elpenor]

I accidentally shoplifted at Sainsbury couple of weeks back, Having gone through the scab tills I arrived back at the car and lifted the shopping bag into the boot to notice two items in the trolley that must have been hidden by the bag. Checked the receipt and they weren't on it. Debated whether to go back but decided that would probably be more hassle than it was worth.

Well you steal from HMRC so may as well extend that to retail outlets now

 

[pbsmooth]

my toddler is quite a handy little accidental shoplifter. once you're out the door and see they're eating an apple, it's too late...

 

[mentalchik]

They are putting security tags on washing powder now. That is pretty sad because that isn't something people would steal to sell it's because they need it and can't afford it

You'd be wrong there, laundry is a big target for the purposes of selling on

 

[bcuster]

Are they? People are still hungry...

America’s stores are winning the war on shoplifting​

https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/13/business/theft-retail-shrink-stores/index.html

 

[Humberto]

In all fairness the big chain stores will hardly notice it. Sad when local businesses are targeted though.

The USA and UK where I am both have large numbers of people reliant on foodbanks, so it is what it is.

 

[Superdupastupor]

My schizophrenic cousin is getting done for steal a bottle of vodka daily during his last off med psychosis.

The key prosecution witnesses has been shown through social media to have been over 60miles away.


Waster, the waste, treated like waste, cared for as waste,, going down as waste before 25th bday, fuck your shop, fuck your perjuring witness, fuck your involuntary care order, fuck your we care for you/about you/ fuckk your petty rules that would shame you given the sam, fuck you wind up merchants making paranoids paranoiac

That's all

 

[Jagshakti]

My schizophrenic cousin is getting done for steal a bottle of vodka daily during his last off med psychosis.

The key prosecution witnesses has been shown through social media to have been over 60miles away.


Waster, the waste, treated like waste, cared for as waste,, going down as waste before 25th bday, fuck your shop, fuck your perjuring witness, fuck your involuntary care order, fuck your we care for you/about you/ fuckk your petty rules that would shame you given the sam, fuck you wind up merchants making paranoids paranoiac

That's all

Busy cunts

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

I can never understand why some people put their lives in danger for a company that doesn't give a flying fuck about them.

I'm still learning this. A few years ago, I had a bloody nose so bad that I went to the ER. My blood pressure was so high that the nurse came in every 15 minutes and asked me my name and address to make sure I hadn't had a stroke. I'd been assigned a particularly difficult customer and spent weeks being screamed at by them. The doctor said the same thing with slightly fewer four-letter words.

 

[pbsmooth]

Unacceptable levels… good to have that confirmed officially

Shoplifting levels 'unacceptable', inquiry finds

Cases are under-reported and "immediate action" is needed to tackle the crisis, a Lords review finds.

www.bbc.com

 

[seventh bullet]

It's unacceptable that more isn't reclaimed through the five-finger discounts on offer.

 

[bemused]

I wonder what the split is between people stealing to eat/survive and people just being thieving toerags? The former has all my sympathy the latter is pulling the rest of us down.

 

[emanymton]

I wonder what the split is between people stealing to eat/survive and people just being thieving toerags? The former has all my sympathy the latter is pulling the rest of us down.

I don't think there is a clear distinction. I don't think there are that many people who actually need, and I mean need, to steal to eat. Rather there are people who spend their money on other things, drink and drugs being the obvious ones. But those people still need to eat and they may be addicted so while they don't NEED to steal they might end up with limited options. It's similar to people stealing to sell on the motives are the same It's just less direct.

 

[brogdale]

One thing that mystifies me about my local Sainsbury's (not small/not massive) is that on Sunday they very obviously don't employ the usual security guard who stands at the lectern/screen thingy by the door. Consequently, last week I was next to a woman who looked outwardly drug dependent who efficiently stuffed her bag with joints of meat and steaks and just walked out with no worry about any security. Seems odd to me.

 

[kenny g]

I don't engage in product liberation because my current gig ( paid employment) offers me well in excess of a long term stretch for the equivalent dough. In effect in my minds eye I am being paid to obey the law. If that social contract broke I would have no problems rectifying the balance to my advantage.

 

[NoXion]

It's unacceptable that more isn't reclaimed through the five-finger discounts on offer.

At the end of the day most people are decent and honest, so it takes extreme circumstances to push them towards theft. We're social animals and as of right now the exchange of money for goods and services is part of that. I'm not convinced that further breakdown of the current social contract is going to lead to more equitable outcomes in the medium-long term. When the state fails to provide for the common welfare of the person, it's certainly possible for communities to step up and organise amongst themselves to meet their own needs, but the conditions have to be favourable to that outcome. Otherwise it seems far more likely that what instead happens is a minority of anti-social entrepreneurs take advantage of the situation. I've certainly not seen any evidence that organised criminal raids on businesses are being conducted for any altruistic reasons. Black marketeers are still working within the capitalist paradigm, the only real difference is that they're breaking the law.

 

[seventh bullet]

At the end of the day most people are decent and honest, so it takes extreme circumstances to push them towards theft. We're social animals and as of right now the exchange of money for goods and services is part of that. I'm not convinced that further breakdown of the current social contract is going to lead to more equitable outcomes in the medium-long term. When the state fails to provide for the common welfare of the person, it's certainly possible for communities to step up and organise amongst themselves to meet their own needs, but the conditions have to be favourable to that outcome. Otherwise it seems far more likely that what instead happens is a minority of anti-social entrepreneurs take advantage of the situation. I've certainly not seen any evidence that organised criminal raids on businesses are being conducted for any altruistic reasons. Black marketeers are still working within the capitalist paradigm, the only real difference is that they're breaking the law.

People nicking the odd thing from a large supermarket chain (predatory vehicles of multinational capital to squeeze local communities while giving nothing back unless for cynical tax reduction) isn't high on my list of concerns regarding the further 'breakdown of the social contract.' I think it's important to distinguish between private property and personal possessions. People in that context aren't the same as those who are out burgling their neighbours. I couldn't give a flying fuck about defending the profits of private equity firms that have moved into retail over the last decade. And I'm employed in this area. I'm more concerned with the widespread theft of wages than the above.