Shops are becoming quite scary

As someone who has been in retail management for majority of my adult life, this is nothing new at all.

I agree with this.
We have security guards in our supermarkets too. They greet every customer coming into the shop, acknowledge them leaving too, if they're around, they make the customer aware of their presence, and as far as I can determine, they're basically there to act as a deterrent, as their powers of intervention are fairly limited.
Supermarket staff are NOT to intervene or engage with a shop lifter, they're not insured for injuries due to getting in the way of a thief.
Cashiers, managers, security wear body cams.
This is the world we live in now.

I don't get worried in shops at all.
I have been in a mini supermarket recently where a man came alongside me and was packing his basket with chicken pieces. Several dozen packs. It was obvious to me that he was planning to nick them, especially since the meat fridges were right in front of the door. (What??!!)
Sure enough, he bolted with his basket out of the door. Out of interest, I looked down the other aisles and there were 3 staff sheltering there. They must have known what was going on and I don't blame them for not tackling him or his mates that were bound to follow him.
This i think is because ,1 the police don't charge shoplifters 2 shops are stupid about where they position their high value goods and 3 high value stuff is not kept in locked cabinets.
I don't think this is about people feeding their hungry families. It's an organised crime grab that is costing the rest of us money

They're stealing booze and meat for it's resale value, so they can sell on and pocket the cash!

I’ve lost count of the times I’ve seen this. It’s for drugs. Addicts have to sell an awful lot of stuff to feed a daily habit. I heard one man says to a member of staff ‘mate..I don’t want to hurt you, but I will. Leave it. They don’t pay you enough to deal with me …’.

Thank you. Some common sense

I work for a big food retailer and in some stores we have our meat joints in the anti theft boxes.

One day, in the time it took the Manager to walk from the freezers to the office to answer the phone, someone had managed to get a joint out of one of the boxes and left the box on top of the freezer and legged it. These thieves have keys they get hold of on the likes of Amazon to bypass these boxes too.

Whatever anti theft measures are put in place, the thieves always find a way around them.

Absolutely this! Nothing to do with cost if lu ing at all. They are selling it on and making money out of it.

I have also seen shoplifters getting into a getaway van via sliding door and the van doing stupid speeds hitting two vehicles

Yeah, chances are stealing from shops isn’t the only crime they’re willing to commit!

I don’t agree. I feel very uncomfortable around any kind of criminal. If they can steal from a shop, they can do anything.

That’s absolutely not the reason. It’s called entitlement. Hard working people are not stealing.

I called into Aldi a few months ago and as I was at the checkout there was a huge commotion and loads of shouting by the door. I couldn't see what was going on, as other shoppers were in the way. A member of staff came past from the door, shaking her head, as an undesirable looking bloke trotted past the window laughing and waving an armful of bottles of cider.
Staff shouldn't have to try to deal with that, they don't know if these thieves have weapons or needles on them. It's really not worth the risk.

Late 90s as a very innocent 18 year old worked in a tesco (owned but not branded yet) off licence in the city centre. We were basically told to turn a blind eye as it wasnt safe to intervene, more stuff was nicked than paid for it was awful but its not a new thing.

well don’t try to stop them then

I've seen it a few times too and yes it is unnerving. Any kind of unpredictable aggression or violence can be. I saw a guy in a fight with a security guard recently, each had one end of a bottle of something, some other stuff he'd stolen fell on the floor. Our local small Co-op had a huge problem with meat being stolen and people with knives threatening staff. They changed their opening hours in response.

This is in a fairly middle class naice area, just happens to have a few halfway houses bordering it.

Do you honestly think that people stealing steak and vodka are hungry and are struggling???

Have witnessed it myself too. Police being called too on one occasion. I would turn a blind eye if it wasnt alcohol due to the cost of living currently, but its always bloody alcohol. On the other hand, the supermarkets are raking it in and I doubt a couple of bottles of alcohol and steaks is going to harm them. I really dont know why staff put themselves at risk for their produce. They are being shafted too. On minimum wage or near enough to try and afford to live because of the cost of food in the very supermarkets they work in. I wouldnt run after thieves if I worked in one. I know someone will say, that thats why the price of food is high, because the supermarkets have to reap back what is stolen. But its not. Its actually to do with lack of liquidity in the current financial system.
With regards, to feeling scared, this is only going to get worse until they release liquidity and people can start to afford to live, unfortunately. It is a worry though. Had a security nearly knock me and 6 yo son flying chasing after one.

Wrong. I have witnessed a gang of men punching the person who tried to stop them in the face. It is frightening , they are not just shop lifters they are violent thugs.

They arent there to harm just steal keep out of their way

We already have the highest PC prison population in western Europe....

Obviously it’s criminal behaviour but I’m not sure it’s scary. Shoplifters won’t harm you will they? Unless you challenge them in which case they’ll try and shove you out the way so they can leg it.

Where do you live?

I’ve never seen a violent robbery like what you describe (even though I live in London, but the nicer part). A couple of weeks ago was the first time I saw someone steal something and they were so bold it shocked me. A normal-looking couple, not drug addicts, a large chain supermarket in Waterloo. A couple jumped the queue to self-checkout, they both had items in their arms. Initially they both approached a till each, but then she walked away and only he scanned his items and paid. They walked out and the door started beeping loudly. The security guy standing by the door said “hey” and waved at them, as they ignored him and walked away onto the street. Security didn’t do anything, just let them walk out without paying. This was probably the most shocking thing in this whole situation

I was unemployed for 13 months. Did I steal? Did I commit crimes? No

I litter pick with my womble group. We have found bags of security tags and supermarket baskets in lay-bys. Some supermarkets are miles away from the lay-bys. Must be where gangs swap their stolen goods with drugs.

One day I was chasing a customer who left her purse behind. At the same time as I left the store, a shoplifter ran out with a basket of goods. He thought I was running after him. He dropped the basket and ran off. About £320 of meat came back into the store