just saw someone shoplifting in wh smith

[EducatingSweary]

so expertly done that it left me questioning myself what id actually seen

she was holding a carrier bag and 2 pavkets of chocolates all in one hand, dropped just one bag of chocs into her carrier bag and then just put the others back on the shelf

it happened so quickly that i thought to myself, no tgat didnt hapoen, yet there was the unmistaken sound if something dropping into her bag

I was in B&M’s and a traveller family walked past me at the check out with their loot and walked out. The kids were with them holding the loot. Cue grandma swearing. Dad was at the other end trying to push a trolley through crammed with toys.

I worked for Sainsbury’s many moons ago, and saw a lady walk out with her bag crammed with booze, it was the tinkling if the bottles that gave it away. I pressed my alarm on her, and everyone ran after her and caught her.

I once saw a man walk out of Morrisons with a handbasket full of bottles of spirits with the security tags on.

Morrisons don't help themselves by putting the tags inside the aluminium lined tubes the really posh whisky comes in.

I did tell them 10 years ago, when we bought a bottle of brandy as a present, wrapped it, and when FiL when to open it, it still had the tag on, at which point I realised why it hadn't triggered the alarm ...

I saw a shoplifter being chased out of Aldi by a much younger, fitter staff member. The thief had no chance. They caught him and relieved him of the meat he’d taken, then let him go. I got the impression they knew him and it wasn’t the first time.

I saw a woman stealing perfumes in boots in guildford years ago. It was so brazen. She had keys, unlocked the cabinets and empti3d them and she and a man put them in a bag a quickly walked out.
It sounds dumb but their movements werent at all hesitant so until they left i wasnt 100% sure they werent staff.

A few years ago a couple of guys in overalls walked into a furniture superstore near here, holding clipboards with paperwork. They loaded up a 3 piece suite into a lorry out the back and then drove off. It wasn't until they'd gone that the staff realised the overalls weren't company ones.....

I watched a man hovering around a hoover display in an electric goods store, then grab one and run hell for leather across the car park with it, leaving the security alarm blaring. I told the woman at the till who was serving me, who looked at me blankly, shrugged and carried on serving me. As I left the shop a security guard wandered vaguely out of the door, turned off the alarm and looked around. Man was long gone.

I used to work for b&q, and the stuff that gets stolen is unreal.
One bloke came to my checkout with 2 huge plant pots, one upside down and the other on top. I went round to scan them, and moved them to check under the bottom one, as normal. There was almost £10,000 of stock under there, and he just said "dunno how that got there", then left.
We found empty packets all over the place, thousands of pounds worth every week.
The really expensive stuff was kept in a locked cupboard, and one girl was sacked after she let a customer in there to choose the taps he wanted!

When I was a student I worked in a Spar in a quite dodgy area of town, and constantly saw people steal stuff. One man even told me once "I'm nicking this". I was 19 and I no way going to challenge them it would have guaranteed me a punch in the face and the £3.50 an hour job wasn't worth the hassle so I understand why shop assistants do nothing

I once accidentally hit a shoplifter with my car. I was in a car park of a shopping centre looking for a space and a shoplifter ran in front of my car as he was being chased by security. Guy got caught, I felt like batman.

I saw a guy nick something from the pound shop. A member of staff saw him she dragged him by the ears through the shop shouting HOW DARE YOU STEAL SOME LIGHTERS.
Even though his ears were pretty much coming off and he was in pain he still looked embarrassed

My dad was a store manager many moons ago for a presto, remember them? I think they then became Safeway and now Morrison’s. An elderly man fainted due to a frozen chicken under his hat, seems it’s common as a pop mentioned someone else doing it. He was told to always prosecute even if it was a wee old woman with just her pension and you felt sorry for her as they might not actually be claiming their full benefits and be really desperate. This way they’ll actually get help from social services and more then likely be let off withnit.

O2 phone shop staff told me that the local kids steal the phones by BITING the security clamps to release them and running off.
They aren’t allowed to give chase and the shopping centre security aren’t very good at catching them.

My mother brought me up with a very, ahem, relaxed attitude towards paying for goods in shops! Pic 'n' mix was considered fair game, and once she got stopped by security for stealing a pair of pants! She's fairly wealthy. I once had a meltdown in a department store because she found a purse full of cash - it was obvious to me she had no plans to hand it in. My eight year old self was very morally affronted and kicked off until she handed it to a member of staff. She was most pissed off with me, and maintains to this day that I shouldn't have done that because the "dodgy member of staff probably kept it for themselves."

She probably still does it now, light fingered twat.

Once when i was walking out of primark I got funny looks from people and even the security guard, couldn't work out why they were all looking at me. A few mins later when I was half way down the road I realised a hook on my handbag had picked up a very large thong off the underwear tables they have in primark and it was just swinging on the front of my handbag, I was mortified

This will be why all the shops are going out of business and closing down

"Also, shoplifters don't always look and act in a 'stereo typical' kind of way. Some can be who you wouldn't suspect in a million years!, such as an elderly, presentable person."

Interesting

But what is more interesting is what @hmmwhatatodo Says:

"I often seem to get followed or watched by security people in shops which not only makes it really hard to act natural it’s also quite upsetting to wonder what it is about the look of me that makes them think I’m going to take something. It’s even more disappointing when I wouldn’t dream of taking anything."
^
This is how many many many certain people feel in society. It starts from young, about 12 years old. And continues for all if not most of your life in all, if not most western countries. You are watched and followed as you browse. The security guards let you know that you are being watched. The shop assistants let you know that they too are watching you, as you check your phone it sends the store staff into a furry of panic. You always have to have your wits about you.

I know of a few people for whom the online shopping experience allows for them not to be stalked in store. Online no one will judge them based on their demographic, size them up based on their clothing preference, make false assumptions about their finances or education. This, I believe, is a contributor to online sales surpassing street sales. This specific demographic deciding that they don't want to have to experience a negative shopping experience every time they pop out for groceries or clothes.^

@spamchaudfroid i like that story. We are not clones of our parents.. we can override their poor parenting because we are our own selves.

This will be why all the shops are going out of business and closing down

Don't be daft. There have always been shoplifters! It's not suddenly worse. The shops are closing down because the internet is quicker, cheaper and doesn't have to waste money on security guards who follow the wrong people round the shop.

O2 phone shop staff told me that the local kids steal the phones by BITING the security clamps to release them and running off.

Aren't those just dummy units ?

I work in retail security for a department store. It's a constant battle. We catch some, we don't catch others.
Some people walk in and you just know they are going to nick something and we are usually correct.
Sometimes you just get lucky and spot someone you wouldn't suspect in a million years suddenly bag up a load of Chanel.
However, a lot of people don't realise that we, as security, (in my store anyway) will not stop someone purely because another customer has told us they have stolen something. We have to see them pick it up, conceal it and then leave without paying. If someone tells me someone has stolen something and they are still in the store, we can watch them, hope they nick something else and stop them on that basis but I'm certainly not wrestling someone to the ground unless I'm 100% certain they have something.

Ironically, I get constantly watched when I go in my local Sainsbury's and I am probably the least likely person to ever shoplift. I know why they follow me.... it's because of my inability to switch off my CCTV geekiness and I find myself looking at their CCTV cameras, where they are, wondering what scope of coverage they have. I also spend a fair while in the booze aisle, idly being unable to decide if I want a Shiraz or a Sauvingnon Blanc.
So I walk in, stare at their cameras and then lurk about in a high value, easy to lift product aisle. Which is essentially what a lot of shoplifters do. 😊

I saw a woman do it in my local Tesco Express recently. She had a basket full of bottles of wine. I walked in and she was next to me and went 'oh fuck it', put the basket on the floor and then picked out the bottles and walked straight out so brazen!

I told the staff and gave a description and they went "oh yeah...she does it all the time!". I saw her a few days later when she stopped me to pet my dog

Saw a couple get stopped outside of Savacentre in Reading once. They were wheeling a huge TV out balanced on a trolley. They were explaining to the guard that they were just going to put it in the car then come back and pay for it....

I saw a guy get clobbered by security on the way out of Morrison's - he'd stolen an Xbox or PlayStation, I think. They caught him as he was legging it out of the car park.

I crossed the main road and started to walk down my street when a woman with two toddlers in the car asked me if I'd seen a man running away from the shop. I said yes, security got him, and she swore and drove off.

I felt very sorry for their children.

I once saw a man stuff a cutlery set down his trousers in Wilkos! Told a staff member and they were a bit meh. I saw a young lady yank a cardigan off a hanger in Marks, stuff it in her bag and run out the store, security guard gave chase.

StealingYourWiFi maybe she’s planning on stealing your dog