Mum shoplifting in Tesco

[1000yellowdaisies]

Not so much an Aibu but its bothering me.
I was in tesco before, just arrived and was faffing about near the entrance getting a scan as you shop scanner thing.
A lady was leaving the shop and the alarms went off. Security took her to one side and found she was leaving with stuff she hadn't paid for. The security guard and 3 staff from the customer service kiosk went through her push chair and when they found more unpaid for stuff they took her through to the back.
Her child was roughly same age as my youngest.

I feel sorry for her. Yes I know she could be a thieving chancer with enough money but she wasn't nicking luxuries like bottles of booze, it was nappies and calpol from what i saw. What will likely happen to her? She looked so embarrassed.

And so what: everyone in need can walk in and just take what they want; that’s a food bank not down tescos.

when I worked in Tesco I saw one bloke loading up a bag with sausages. Should I have not alerted security in case he was just hungry? People stealing to order will take anything, including nappies and calpol

It’s really difficult because the pros absolutely use buggies for shop lifting (my dad was on a jury at least 10 years ago for someone who had the tray of her buggy stuffed full of high end perfumes etc), but of course there are lots of people now genuinely feeling the pinch. I suppose if they could give her a leaflet for the food bank or some other local support the first time, but keep an eye out…

That’s not how food banks work either. At the one I volunteer at (have done for two years), you get a parcel of set items.

I used to work in a shop where a woman would come in about once a month and shoplift formula and tampons. Never said a word about it to my manager or security. In the end she got caught and banned, but no police were called.

No one can tell from this little information if she was desperate and didn't know how else to access help or if she was a career criminal. Hopefully if she needs help she will be told how to access it.

A buggy is very often used by professional shoplifters. If you work in retail you become a bit cynical about shoplifters motives.

If it was items for her child or food i would quietly have offered to buy her what she needed until she had some money to start paying for things herself again, as well as checking she knew about foodbanks etc. 😥

Kind of vile that baby supplies are so expensive, whether omeone would nick them for their own use or sell them to someone equally desperate.
An utter farce of a society

Unfortunately you will never know if she had a genuine need or was flogging stuff on Facebook.

If she genuinely did not have the funds to buy this stuff then I feel awful for her, no one should ever be in that position.

My DH worked for a shop 15 years ago and stealing using pushchairs was a common trick even then. I’m always cynical now. There is no real deterrent.

Poor lady

Honestly once you spot some shoplifting, you'll see it all the time!

Literally saw 2 people walk out with stuff in my Sainsbury local last weekend, I was only in there for 10 minutes. It's really bad in the Tesco express, possibly worse. I was talking to a friend about it. People just walk out with stuff. Very prolific and seems very little the shops do about it- I've never seen anyone challenge.

I really hope they let her off with a warning. So many people can’t afford the basic necessities.

Shoplifters need to be cracked down on and should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. They should also be banned from all supermarkets for a lengthy period of time.

Trouble is everyone else pays for theft

I know shoplifters use buggies but it’s not usually 1 pack of nappies and Calpol. I grew up in a tough area and the local thieves always had booze and fags to sell. Then toiletry sets and expensive cuts of meats for Christmas.

When I read the title I thought you meant your own mum lol.

And if she is selling them on Facebook? According to op it was nappies and calpol, not meat or alcohol or anything expensive.
Even if she does it twice a day, every day, I can’t imagine she’s living the high life on the proceeds of crime.
Fortunately I’ve never been in the position where I’ve needed to sell a pack of stolen nappies, but I’d guess you’d have to be pretty desperate to bother. Likewise you’d have to be pretty hard up to go to the trouble of buying them from her.

Yes, I’d report someone stealing none essential goods, or large quantities of a single product or anything else that clearly wasn’t for basic personal needs, and if it was a small independent business. But nappies in tescos? Sorry but I wouldn’t see anything.

I worked in retail as a student more than 20 years ago and theft of baby products was common, it's hardly a sign of the times. I remember we had a lady with a pram that she must have brought in just for this purpose, as there was no baby in it.

Can confirm 30 years ago.

Nappies & formula went under the seat and over the handles, razors, medicines and meat under the hood. All on sale later that day outside the pub.

The money wasn't being used to buy anything for children, either. But if they got caught, they'd look all sad and teary and claim they didn't have anything in the house to feed the children apart from dry jam sandwiches.

Hopefully SS will get involved and help her to cope. Point her in the direction of services to help her, get her kids into daycare and her into work.

Did he leave the shop? It's not theft until they've left or attempted to leave the building, you can put items in anything you like as long as you don't leave without paying.

Yes I worked in Boots at holiday in-between terms and a man was trying to put through some nappies. He ran off then it turned out it didn't go through by card so I was very uncertain what to do for a few seconds until I called supervisor

When I read the title I thought you meant your own mum lol.

It’s hard to imagine anyone reading this thread and “lolling”