Shoplifting Aibu

[Evaandme]

I was in Home Bargains this morning and witnessed someone put a bottle of wine down his jacket and walk out. The staff happened to walk round the corner and see as he put it in there but they didn’t say anything and let him leave. They were discussing it after around other customers and saying a man with a pram with no child came in with a blanket over the pram was doing it and that It’s happening all the time at the minute.

I thought staff challenge people when they’ve witnessed them shoplifting? Surely discussing it and letting people walk away will just encourage more shoplifting

You don't know how people are going to react when challenged. Minimum wage wouldn't encourage me to confront a shoplifter who could do anything, and I wouldn't be keen to wrestle a stranger over a bottle of wine. I think a lot of retailers have a policy to not confront for that reason. I've noticed bigger retailers having a noticeable security presence over the Christmas shopping period now, presumably to deter and stop the losses.

That said, you're completely right, ridiculous and they get away with it in a lot of cases.

They’re told not to confront people. Unless they’re actually employed as security, apprehending suspected criminals is not in a retail assistants job description.

When I worked in retail we were told not to challenge people if we saw them stealing.

Why didn't you confront the thief, OP? Citizen justice and all that.

I see thanks for confirming. I didn’t realise that. I don’t think they have security there so that makes sense

I’d sooner not have the wine bottle wrapped round the side of my head if possible.

I used to work at Next and we were told to literally leave them to it and let a manager know.

We are told to prioritise human safety (staff annd customers) over product.

Hardly susprisely cause of the cost of living crisis this kind of crime has 🚀 rocket sky high,

someone i knew who was a former manager himself somewhere in England, was advised to be Wary be careful not to run after shoplifters as you could be seriously attacked by anyone,
how do you know until its far too late that a shop lifter is carrying a concealed weapon of some sort,

a employee of his ran after a shop lifter once and was threatened by them, that they would use a infected used syringe 💉 needle on them,
if they didn't let them run off with shop lifted item,

like former manager said, "a £25 plus item is really not worth being seriously attacked or losing your life over".

Why didn't you confront them? It's no more the shop staff's job than it is yours, unless confronting shoplifters is specifically part of their job and they're trained to do it.

Would you risk being stabbed OP? That's what they face around here.

Since the police no longer come out with goods being under a couple of hundred quid. There's no way to stop a shoplifter.

Just around the corner from me a shoplifter was stopped. He asked what the fuck they were going to do about it. Then he left.

Shops need to provide proper security or put up with it.

We have personal bodycam that can record shoplifters if we want to but told not to turn it on if not safe to.

My son worked in a store with a pharmacy and drug addicts would sometimes have dirty syringes to use as a weapon.

As an ex retail manager, I can confirm that this is absolutely true.

Why should the staff jeopardise their safety and challenge (or approach) a shoplifter? That’s not something they have to deal with. They should report the incident and that’s all they can do.

In River Island, the company’s approach was to go up to the shoplifter and ask whether they needed any assistance or whether they needed a basket. That was the best way to speak with them and let them know that you can see what they’re doing. But actually saying, ‘stop right now, take that out of your bag’ is madness and isn’t encouraged. I remember when I worked in a shopping centre and one of the secruity guards tackled a man that had stolen from our store. He ended up biting her breast in order to get away! Fucking madness

Store staff are not trained to stop shoplifters, for the most part they're told NOT to confront them and report to security/police

We were also told not to chase shoplifters out of the shop. Not all streets have cctv and you risk being in the one getting in trouble for hurting the shoplifter too. If the shoplifter is meeting others outside the shop then you risk being outnumbered too.

Our HB has a security guard. Doesn’t yours?

I wouldn't risk my safety for a bottle of HB wine, would you?

Surely most retail operations price in a certain amount of 'wastage' when they do their sums and arrive at prices for items? That stolen bottle of wine is being paid for by all the honest customers. I wouldn't risk my safety to chase someone just because they had nicked something from a shop. I did speak to a lady in M&S who said she saw a man run out with £200 worth of steak. She mentioned that M&S made nearly £500 million profit the year before.

I definitely understand why they don't challenge. They're not paid enough to risk violence and injury to themselves.

Shoplifting is epidemic at the moment and gets worse every week. I work in a charity shop and we get hit every day at least once but often it's multiple times.
I was stood in Greggs one morning last week on my way to work when a man came in and picked up a stack of boxed donuts and just walked out. I mentioned it to the counter staff and they said that they now put the stale donuts in boxes and leave them nearest the door as that limits some of their losses. If a customer picks one up then they swap it for a fresh box and put the stale one back but all us retail regulars know to go to the counter if you want a fresh item.

We do confront 'lifters' if we deem it safe (like a woman with an empty pram) but some of the regular ones are now bringing 'minders' to block the way of staff. I can often be heard shouting at banned people from behind the till "Oy you! Get out right now - you know that you're banned"!

They can't approach unless they have left the shop. And it's just not safe to do so.

DB chased and caught a shoplifter and was told off by shop staff and then told off by the police and threatened with a charge of assault. Madness

@henrysugar12 I am not sure that's true now. I have seen people challenged In store when they have secreted things.

I think the approach mentioned earlier (river island?) is the way forward. I see it done a lot local to me eg shoplifter with a trolley and things put in carrier bags is asked if they need a hand unpacking them etc. challenge without being confrontational.