People openly stealing in Greggs

[Xraytime]

Whilst I was in the queue for a coffee, 4 different people came in and took several sandwiches, doughnuts and drinks.

They were not together.

I feel like Greg’s need to put every behind the counter, I can’t see how it’s sustainable long term.

I see this at different Greggs aswell but there will normally be just one person. Today was shocking.

I always find whenever these arguments occur about the rich not paying enough, people also go on about hard working rich people. These people are not the rich that need to be taxed more. I think the rich they are thinking about are those with huge amounts of wealth and assets who use accountants and solicitors to avoid tax rather than high earners in jobs. We all know about well known companies that pay almost no tax. But there are also plenty of super rich individuals/families who create trusts to avoid tax. Just look at the case of the Duke of Westminster.

Because they wouldn’t sell as much stock? Making people browse a catalogue or website is nowhere near as alluring as having products at eye level …

The Argos model works very well because they also have low staff numbers & sell known brands - they don’t really do own label so people know what they need as they step foot inside.

I have seen so many instances of shoplifting in Greggs, Costa etc, it is ridiculous. I don't think they are doing it because they are hungry or whatever. It is because they can get away with it.
I have seen people just squeeze past people in the queue in Poundland with a basket of goods. No running and totally relaxed. They know no one will do anything

Happened to me the other day when I was in Croydon, woman in front of me orders a coffee, gets it and walks off. The man behind the counter was too scared to call her back. He asked me if I could go and get her but I wasn't comfortable with that.

Costa etc get the money first, then make the drink.
Maybe the place you were in need to rethink how they do things to stop thefts happening in the way you describe.

The problem is that those people will always be out of reach. They'll always avoid paying tax because the financial laws and institutions work in their favour, and because they are very mobile.

So, new policies of extortionate tax do end up coming for hard-wokring rich people.

Why should you risk a punch in the face ? The shops problem not yours .

I had something similar in a KFC drive thru about 17 years ago. Guy in car in front took the food and drove off without paying. I pulled up and girl said "that's £28 please" I said that's not me - ordered about £12 worth. I couldn't believe she wanted me to pay for his nicked stuff. I said the guy was driving a black 4x4 with a tattoo sleeve and I am female driving a red Fiesta. It took ages for the manager to convince that I only ordered £12.

Pay before receive is the motto.

@notedbiscuits at drive thru you usually have to pay before don't you?
Order at the voice thing.
Drive to the pay window.
Drive to the collect window.
Hasn't it always been like that?

I can quite easily remember cheese and onion slices being 27p in 1986! Now they are about £1.70!

I remember one of the windows was damaged so payment and collection at the same window.

That's what happens when everything gets so soft, they know they can get away with it.
Who'd have a shop today and security guards can't do anything either, so can't see the point in them.
If people knew they were going to face some serious consequence as a result of stealing, they wouldn't do it, or you wouldn't see so much of it.

Fully agree. We're way too soft. We really need to start challenging all forms of "minor" offences and if that means beefing up the police, councils, HMRC, DVLA, etc., then let's do it. Make the fines big enough to cover the costs of the extra staff needed.

I do agree, totally. I honestly do.

But what 'serious consequences' are there to threaten these scumbags with?

Even if there was room is prisons, that's not a deterrent. They've likely already got criminal records and/or are living a life where having where its no impediment anyway.

Fines don't work because these type of people are either let off, just don't pay, or pay about £1.74 per week which costs more to administer.

Exactly I had my kids with me as well. Im surprised he expected me to confront her. He didn't serve me after that so took it he was pissed off that I didn't want to get involved!

A friends son worked in in small shop in my home town (I think it was called budgens)
He was always catching shoplifters and he always rang the police
They told him to stop as he was making their figures look bad-actually told him to let them go and to turn a blind eye
He quit and the shop shut down 6 months later

It's brazen-I know a woman who will walk into a charity shop/supermarket/corner shop,nicks whatever she likes the look off and walks out
Staff don't notice the sweet looking lady who uses a zimmer frame (that she uses to hide the stuff in,she doesnt need a zimmer frame)
She does it because she thinks she should get more in benefits,but even if she got all the money in the world,she'd still do it because she doesn't want to pay for anything

Britain is broken

I have seen the exact same thing! When I reported it they just told me, “ it happens all the time”!!!! Can you believe that!?

This happened to me recently in a Greggs when I was grabbing something to eat .( I was travelling home )
Somebody took some doughnuts on the way out .

That’s the reason Greggs prices are increasing so much as honest people pay for the thieves 😡

I’ve witnessed the same in the East Midlands. While standing in the queue they seem to use the busy lunch time line to hide what they’re doing from staff. It seems to be the residents of the hostels near the train station coming in a brazenly laughing and stuffing their pockets!

It's because Greggs products are quite low priced (compared to eg Starbucks or Pret a Manger). If everything was behind the counter it would take too much time to get the items customers want as well as heat up food and collect payment. Of course, in locations where thefts and attempts at theft are frequent, management have done that so that thefts don't outstrip payments. They would have to hire more staff to work during busy periods.

Argos can do this approach (for years) because they don't need to heat up their products or make coffee and tea, and also, their goods tend to be over £5 and as much as £500 or more. Greggs doesn't have a lot of items priced over £10. Our two nearest branches of Argos tend to be very quiet and there are never long queues. Only 1 employee on the shopfloor most of the time.

Click and collect for items that don't need heating up would be another good way for Greggs to go (items will be paid for in advance).

In my shop they attacked staff and broke one person’s fingers. Police didn’t help much. These people are still coming back stealing and laughing

Greggs needs security guards!

i witnessed this recently, I was deciding which sandwich and this man said excuse me love so I said you go ahead first…he scooped up the entire sandwich counter into his bag and said thanks for that and left. I was absolutely gobsmacked.

Couldn’t agree more. I’m shocked that people try and justify it.