What do you think of people who steal at supermarkets?

[chroniclesofj]

Have you seen it happen?
Doesn’t seem like police or security care

Interesting, I didn’t know about it being classed that way. I always think of organised crime as big groups working in tandem on a large scale, so wouldn’t have thought to include the people who do it on their own or even in pairs and sell it down the pub. Thank you for teaching me something new!

I would prefer it if they didn't, because it is bad manners. I understand that food prices have increased a lot, and some of us do eat cheap meals when it gets towards the end of our pay-packet (lots of jacket potatoes, vegetable-heavy stews, cheap tinned fish and butter rice here on lean months). We don't all stoop to shoplifting.

It is peculiar when I visit supermarkets around where I grew up, when I go to visit family. It was an affluent area when I was growing up. Now, meat is in locked plastic boxes, and there are plastic covers over the shelves with chocolate bars, to deter- or at least delay- shoplifters. There are very obvious security guards at shop entrances and exits, and staff speak into little mics to tell other colleagues that a known shoplifter has just walked in. It seems very strange in comparison to where I live now. I wish that it was taken more seriously as a crime, because that is what theft is, and if they were punished for it, it would surely serve as a deterrent for other people.

Loaf of bread in desperation, understandable.

Stealing toiletries or alcohol to sell on, deplorable.

Shoplifting is an every day occurrence at our store however I don't think I've ever seen anyone steal a loaf of bread. You do get individuals stealing alcohol so probably for own use but I doubt the guy who put 6 packs of lurpak in his holdall was getting it for personal need. Shoplifters never seem to just get 1 of anything, its never desperation.

The way supermarkets are designed now is interesting psychologically - it makes me feel far more adversarial to the shop than I ever did before.

As a pp said, the locked fridges, the plastic cases make me feel mistrusted.

Plus, the complete automation of everything makes me feel undervalued as a customer and as a human. It is so plain that the supermarket is not there for the community. No staffed tills, no human contact, get your shopping, bag it, pay for it yourself without the company having had to pay a penny on staff. You go in and you think basically I'm doing all the work here myself, and they have broken the social contract - there are no jobs here, no training for young people, no community interaction, no sense of helpfulness or a hub of social life. No positive customer experience.

Just pure profit and transaction.

Those things together bring me closer to shoplifting than I have ever been. I never would, for lots of reasons, one being I don't need to, another being that in principle I don't break the law, like most people.

But recently, on more than one occasion, I've looked round the empty shop, one uneasy, unsupported, security guard at the door, me by the till. I've thought how easy it would be for me to just nick loads of stuff as I go through the self service check out. I can aee how to do it.

And I think how it would be their own fault, for stripping out all of the humanity from the interaction.

I once accidentally stole a pumpkin from Sainsbury’s. I had put it under the buggy when getting a few other things then forgot to scan on my way out. When I got home I realised so I went back to the shop and confessed my crime. The customer service lady just laughed and said to just take it, it was too much hassle to sort out!

This really hits the nail on the head.

it’s a prime example of turning on each other whilst allowing big corporate to take zero responsibility for their part in increasing theft

Because I have a life ?

What about retail theft?

are there really enough resources to pursue all these shoplifters

I’m depressed at discovering a new phenomenon of people stealing and then brazenly bragging about their haul.

My hairdresser ( a lady in her fifties) recently told me that among her friendship group people are boasting about taking accessories and costume jewellery from TU at Sainsburys and not paying.
A friend turned up at her house for dinner with several bunches of tulips which she had taken from the local BP / M&S and openly told everyone.
My DIL’s parents have neighbours who are comfortably off but confess to sneaking things out of M&S unpaid for.
They can obviously afford to buy their groceries at M&S but get a thrill out of getting away with a freebie.
Is there no shame in stealing any more?

A recent media article suggested that self-checkouts have resulted in people stealing who wouldn’t dream of trying to slip
goods past a human cashier.

It's fairly common in my part of the world.

Mostly wine, cheese, meat and those vape smoking things - as these can generally be sold on quickly.

I was in a supermarket late one night and there were 2 suspicious looking guys walking around separately - both with trollies piled high. I then noticed they kept looking around and they just generally stood out as acting peculiar. I double backed to the first aisle and noticed they were both there too. The next time the barrier opened for a genuine shopper to enter, they both pushed the full trollies out without paying.

A member of staff saw it too and said it regularly happens but staff and security are told to not intervene in case they are attacked.

Another time a 'Dad' had got his child to steal something obviously and then drop it and cause a disturbance so the 'Dad' could walk out with a bag of goods.

As a society, we seem to be deteriorating.

They are criminals. There’s help available for people ho are genuinely hungry (food banks, charities). Those who steal are doing it for money for other things. They should get a job

I think it is disgusting behaviour, with the possible exception of a mother stealing to stop her children going hungry.
Stealing is wrong.

There is a lot of help available - food banks, charities and churches. It depends if that person wants to accept help.

^Agree with this.

Worked in a supermarket for 20 years and never ever saw the first, the second, scores of times.

I guess the first by definition would be someone desperate who only ever did it once or twice. So makes sense you noticed the repeat offenders more often. It must have been annoying to see people just lifting stuff.

It's a depressing reminder of how broken our society is - and I don't just mean the UK, I mean, globally.

I think its none of my beeswax and i dont want to get involved, and get on with what i need to do.

I do think it's bad and I don't condone it for a minute.. however the benefit cheats, the self employed that aren't declaring their earnings and still claiming benefits etc.. are even bigger thieves in my books.

Why should she? For all we know she could’ve been struggling financially herself 🤷🏻‍♀️

Why should they have to?

That's their business, they're they to make profits. They advertise the price clearly-buy it or don't but don't expect to take it for nothing because someone will be out of pocket, someone is paying for you,even if those pockets are very deep.

Do you think it would be okay to rob anything from any company that made a decent profit? Well, clearly you do.

I wonder if you are a thief or someone who has never made a penny in their lives.

If you're not a thief ,why make excuses for those who are and if you earn your money would you be happy to have your stuff nicked because you make more than Jack down the road?

Comments like yours (some chump up thread said she couldn't get worked up about it) diminish us all. Sadly, the Barbarians are at the gates justifying theft.

They make billions and pay virtually no corporation tax. I don’t think a few thefts is going to harm them. And plus they waste so much stock

The reason it’s rife in the U.K. is because unless it’s very high value theft, the police do absolutely nothing.

Gangs come from other countries specifically to shoplift - they know that even if they get caught, they are likely to get nothing but a slap on the wrist - if that.

The UK is ludicrously soft, and the thieves - whether home-grown or not - know that all too well.

I wonder if Anthony Worral Thompson is still banned from Tesco cheese counter