Shoplifting. What would you have done?

[MonroeM]

Today I think I observed a shoplifter. I was in one store and I overheard the assistant talking to another one about a female shoplifter who had just escaped being caught. She described her clothing.

This was a very small retail shopping area. I thought no more about it but a bit later was in a discount store nearby just browsing. A woman and her small daughter were looking at the boxed toys (little unicorns and mini games and puzzles) which I noticed as I was also browsing those shelves for grand children's gifts and treats.

The woman was wearing an outfit which could have matched the one I overheard being described earlier in the other store. I told myself not to assume anything but kept an eye on things and saw that the mother had put in her basket half a dozen girl's toys and they were still looking at more. I moved on to another aisle.

They came to my aisle and those toys were no longer in the basket. The woman had a handbag and a larger open shopping bag on her arm. The daughter then chose some pens and notebook stuff and gave it to her mother.

I made sure I was behind them when moving to the checkout and peeped into her shopping bag while pretending to look at something else. I couId see things in there. I know I know this may sound all very stupid or weird but this woman only paid for some fruit juice and balloons.

She could have changed her mind about all the toys and dumped them somewhere but I doubt it.

I have watched shoplifters before ages ago (2 young women who were DEFINITELY stealing) and told the staff who did not seem to be too concerned!! but what do others here think? Would you have told shop staff or just ignored it?

You didn't see her shoplifting.

So you followed her all round the store, peered into her shopping bag, noticed she'd stolen some toys and then did fuck all about it?

Nope. She followed her about, noticed the things were no longer in the basket, saw 'some things' in the woman's bag and then said she might have changed her mind about the toys. It only did OP not see the woman steal anything, she also couldn't confirm the items in the woman's bag were the toys which had previously been in the basket. Basically OP saw fuck all and OP knows fuck all.

I don't see the point of identifying her, following her, making sure you were behind her in the queue and peeking into her bag if you weren't going to report her. Why did you do it? Are you in training to be a private eye and wanted to see if you were spotted?

Sounds like you spent a futile morning creeping round a shop like a massive weirdo while a shoplifter filled her boots.
Well done.

I’ve worked in retail and have been spat at and threatened with a syringe by shoplifters. I also lost a job in a small, expensive clothes shop after the manager had gone to grab some lunch and a big pile of jumpers were lifted while I was serving someone else.

I fucking hate thieves.

That said, I once paid for a bottle of cheap cider I saw being stolen in our local shop. I felt that if the guy was desperate enough to walk past the nice booze and food, who was I to judge . He’d already left the shop btw, and I was with two small children.

No, @poolblack, OP hasn’t returned to give clarification. It’s possible that she was 100% sure it was the same woman discussed in the first shop, it COULD have been the same things in the bag as it was in the shopping basket. No-one knows so we really can’t say if it was a clear case of shoplifting or not, can we?

Maybe she makes a great ‘living’ out of selling her shoplifted goods down a back alley or a dodgy pub to pay for her addictions because supporting systems are failing her and she can’t get a job or child support from the abusive father because of it to pay for her daughter’s £8.99 plastic school shoes from Matalan and her benefits sanctions or depression or impending eviction due to rent arrears caused by a job loss caused her to reach this level of low.

Or maybe she’s laughing at everyone thinking how clever she is to steal and dodging the law until eventually she’s caught and her child ends up in the care system whilst she’s in prison for stealing.

Either way, she can’t get any lower than this in life with a daughter she has to support and for whatever appalling reason she chose to shoplift, you can get bet it wasn’t because she enjoys it and doesn’t feel guilty about her daughter witnessing this wrong behaviour.

Of course it’s wrong to steal, but I’d ignore it personally. I could only think of the reasons why she’s got this low, not why I should report her.

Who do you think pays for shoplifters goods? YOU THE CUSTOMER WHO DIES NOT STEAL. Businesses don't adsorb theses costs they pass them onto the consumer. I work for a very large retail organisation, the cost of shop lifting is enormous

Our local shop has decided to ban more than two children at a time

I’m not particularly happy about it although I don’t think its going to affect my children personally

Completely and utterly down to shoplifting

(Although i bet if i went up there on the rob they wouldn’t be banning 50 year old women )

@CurlyhairedAssassin

That's what I said? OP doesn't know a thing.

she also couldn't confirm the items in the woman's bag were the toys which had previously been in the basket.

Well, she it’s Not that she CAN’T confirm it, it’s just that she hasn’t come back to say whether she could or not. We need OP to come back and clarify more so on that score we both agree

I made sure I was behind them when moving to the checkout and peeped into her shopping bag while pretending to look at something else.I couId see things in there. I•

She could have changed her mind about all the toys and dumped them somewhere but I doubt it.

OP clearly says the woman could have changed her mind and dumped the toys. This was after looking into the bag and seeing 'things' at the checkout. OP can't come back and confirm because she already said she doesn't actually know. She knows nothing. She saw nothing.