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Shops are becoming quite scary

378 replies

ithinkilikethislittlelife · 25/02/2026 12:42

I am starting to become quite nervous in shops, primarily shops that sell food stuffs. Just yesterday I saw two men go through a fire door in my local supermarket that takes them straight into the car park armed with baskets of stolen items. The one basket had steak/meats and the other looked like it was all bottles of vodka. The poor staff trying to wrestle the baskets back and stop the two men from leaving was quite upsetting to witness. This was yesterday. Saturday in my local co op a chap was loitering by the alcohol section while I was shopping. Getting into our car outside I noticed him sprinting past us clutching bottles of alcohol. Me and dh see it all the time now. It’s an epidemic. And it usually seems to be men. And I’m not having it that they are stealing milk for babies or bread for their children. I always see them take alcohol. I don’t know what the answer is but yesterday I was frightened for the staff member who intervened as the one chap raised a bottle of alcohol at her and she then backed off but I totally understood her rage at trying to stop the thieves taking from her place of work. I don’t want my children to witness these thieving people and I don’t want to feel anxious just trying to go about my day and buy food!

OP posts:
ComedyGuns · 26/02/2026 23:38

BrassCandlestick · 26/02/2026 22:17

This. Absolutely this.

I absolutely agree!!

OonaStubbs · 26/02/2026 23:47

There needs to a massive crackdown on shoplifting. It's ridiculous when bars of chocolate are having to be put in security cases.

SadTimesInFife · 26/02/2026 23:50

Poverty in a country with free health care, free schooling, free school meals, tax-payer handouts, and so it goes on.
Coupled with a liberal western culture of all rights and no responsibilities.

Singapore has got it right.
Finland could teach the UK about schooling.

I'd take the children away from feckless parents. Sterilise the parents. Ban smoking and alcohol. Improve technical/trade education. Shorten university courses by cutting holidays. Castrate rapists. Tax tech companies like citizens are taxed. Cap banking salaries. Ban banking bonuses. Give teaching the respect it deserves by improving its standard at every level. Remove every royal except the monarch and heir, and keep doing that every generation. Take away control of water supply from private companies. Ban car parking on roads. Stop building on farm land and flood plains.

And on the second day...

RedToothBrush · 27/02/2026 00:44

SadTimesInFife · 26/02/2026 23:50

Poverty in a country with free health care, free schooling, free school meals, tax-payer handouts, and so it goes on.
Coupled with a liberal western culture of all rights and no responsibilities.

Singapore has got it right.
Finland could teach the UK about schooling.

I'd take the children away from feckless parents. Sterilise the parents. Ban smoking and alcohol. Improve technical/trade education. Shorten university courses by cutting holidays. Castrate rapists. Tax tech companies like citizens are taxed. Cap banking salaries. Ban banking bonuses. Give teaching the respect it deserves by improving its standard at every level. Remove every royal except the monarch and heir, and keep doing that every generation. Take away control of water supply from private companies. Ban car parking on roads. Stop building on farm land and flood plains.

And on the second day...

Hi GhostofStalin

SemiRetiredLoveGoddeess · 27/02/2026 04:16

WeepingAngelInTheTardis · 25/02/2026 12:52

The answer is to bring down the cost of living.

These people who steal are not paupers. Believe you me. They steal to order and not for themselves. That is what they do for a living.

The go to the local pub to deliver and sell stuff off.

Also organised Crime gangs from Eastern Europe and other countries.

And lots of these shoplifters also have substance abuse problems. So they are feeding their habit.

There are genuine people who are really struggling to cope. But also a lot who are unemployed but can afford several dogs, tattoos, veneers, cars. fancy eyebrows and hair do's

Eightiesmusic · 27/02/2026 04:38

I've worked in retail and apart from the obvious shoplifters you get who are very brazen by just walking out with baskets of whatever, the amount of people who steal on self service tills by under ringing items is staggering!

It's amazing how people 'accidently forget ' to scan in their packets of steaks, cheese and all sorts of expensive items, and when you point it out to them that they've only rang three products in instead of seven, they usually tell you that they were going to pay for those other items with a different card, or that they didn't realise they hadn't scanned their items in, they don't realise the staff hear these excuses constantly.

What's more, people who pull up in their flash cars often think nothing of being deceptive on the self service tills, and frequently might grab themselves a nice Costa coffee that they believe they're entitled to have without paying for It, It goes on under your nose al the time, more so than seeing actual obvious shoplifters walking out with unpaid for items,

Auburngal · 27/02/2026 06:47

CrikeyNumpty · 26/02/2026 23:26

The only way to stop crime now is to build more prisons and lock them all up for a long time. People don’t fear the law now. It’s a slap on the wrist, rinse and repeat.

Not sure why they don’t just concede defeat and build loads of prisons for the repeat offenders, just remove them from the society they have no regard for - nothing fancy, just get some shipping containers, kit them out with the basics and just shove them all in there. I know we are supposed to say, oh no, we have to try and rehabilitate them, but it has gone beyond that. Imagine how much nicer if all the low level (as well as high level) crime disappeared from our neighbourhoods. Life would be so much sweeter. Vote winner for me.

Remember talking of building of prisons - you get NIMBYs

Auburngal · 27/02/2026 07:01

Eightiesmusic · 27/02/2026 04:38

I've worked in retail and apart from the obvious shoplifters you get who are very brazen by just walking out with baskets of whatever, the amount of people who steal on self service tills by under ringing items is staggering!

It's amazing how people 'accidently forget ' to scan in their packets of steaks, cheese and all sorts of expensive items, and when you point it out to them that they've only rang three products in instead of seven, they usually tell you that they were going to pay for those other items with a different card, or that they didn't realise they hadn't scanned their items in, they don't realise the staff hear these excuses constantly.

What's more, people who pull up in their flash cars often think nothing of being deceptive on the self service tills, and frequently might grab themselves a nice Costa coffee that they believe they're entitled to have without paying for It, It goes on under your nose al the time, more so than seeing actual obvious shoplifters walking out with unpaid for items,

Or weigh steaks, beef joints etc as carrots. I have caught someone do this - looked at the screen, looked at the bagging area - hmm - that is a funny looking carrot. Have voided off the "carrot" and scanned the barcode of the beef joint. They did pay for the beef joint. But got to think how many times did they pay 80p-£1.20 for a beef joint.

One problem is that supermarket self scans are not customised to each store as have buttons for stuff stores don't sell.

I remember about 10 years ago someone got fined serious money because they weighed everything as bananas. The store didn't sell loose bananas. Only in bunches in bags.

Also scan n go - either using a handset or mobile. Forget to scan that side of salmon. At my last job when a customer got a random check, we were told to do the checks across all their bags and if got items too big for bags - loo roll, large packs of Coke cans, nappies etc - include them. Plus the expensive items. So often we had to do a full rescan because they 'forgot' to scan something expensive.

Another thing - people steal on the shop floor. Supermarkets that had hot chicken counters often found bags of the chicken bones stuffed somewhere as customers grabbed a bag of cooked chicken drumsticks - ate them around the store without paying. Also - get parents opening up a multipack of crisps for their DC - take a pack or two then leave the rest on the shelf.

Mykneesareshot · 27/02/2026 07:54

Working IN retail is where it's scary!

CrikeyNumpty · 27/02/2026 09:59

Self scan, supermarkets installed these to cut staff. So, that’s on them. Not condoning stealing but they created that problem.

Badbadbunny · 27/02/2026 10:13

CrikeyNumpty · 27/02/2026 09:59

Self scan, supermarkets installed these to cut staff. So, that’s on them. Not condoning stealing but they created that problem.

No it really didn't. There's been shoplifting for decades, long before self serve tills, and even long before self-service supermarkets. We had an old fashioned newsagents in the 1970s - counter served basically everything. Anything of any value behind the counter or within the glass topped counters, i.e. cigarettes, tobacco, alcohol, boxes of chocolates, fancy pens, lighters, etc. We also had locked display cabinets in the shop floor itself for "fancy goods". Obviously, we had things "on" the counter too, such as chocolate bars, and newspaper/magazine racks, but we still had the most expensive magazines on a different rack behind the counter.

Customers would come in and ask for cigarettes, etc and would just snatch them and walk out without paying - very blatant, even back in the 70s.

Similarly, those who played the "cash tricks", i.e. fooled you at busy times by playing silly beggars giving you a big note, then asking for it back to give a smaller note, then their companion would give a note instead, all a "con job/trick" to confuse and fool us serving them - like a fairground trick, and also distraction tricks too when they come in small groups and distract you whilst others filled their pockets.

I've no doubt that self service tills make it worse, but let's not pretend that shoplifting is anything new.

The biggest factor is the way that everyone knows the police and courts won't bother with anything under £200. That's given green light for the thieves (which is what they are), to be more blatant and increased shoplifting (and increase risk of assault on staff etc).

Superscientist · 27/02/2026 10:18

I was in a boots in 2021 when a man with a bag I could fit in and proceed to empty the shelves into it. There was pretty much no make up or skin products by the time he left.
The staff stayed behind the counter and dealt with as quickly as they could.
It wasn't the first time this had happened and a staff member was assaulted when they approached them last time so they all went behind the counter this time and didn't approach him. There was an alarm going off saying "you are in camera we will go to the police please leave now" on repeat.

ChequerToRed · 27/02/2026 10:44

Last year the manager of a Lidl near me had a glass bottle smashed over his head by a shoplifter, leaving him with a laceration that required extensive stitches. Poor guy doesn’t seem to work there anymore and the new manager wears a bodycam.

FairKoala · 27/02/2026 10:52

WeepingAngelInTheTardis · 25/02/2026 12:52

The answer is to bring down the cost of living.

The answer is actually prosecuting every single theft.
Add on jail for prolific offenders, ankle tags for years to keep them out of stores, deportation for those who haven’t got leave to remain or a review of their leave to remain which could be suspended.

This would make those on the fence of should they shouldn’t they steal think twice.

It would also bring down the cost of things in the store as insurance would go down as thefts declined

Remember the people stealing are costing everyone more money

suburburban · 27/02/2026 11:02

Auburngal · 27/02/2026 07:01

Or weigh steaks, beef joints etc as carrots. I have caught someone do this - looked at the screen, looked at the bagging area - hmm - that is a funny looking carrot. Have voided off the "carrot" and scanned the barcode of the beef joint. They did pay for the beef joint. But got to think how many times did they pay 80p-£1.20 for a beef joint.

One problem is that supermarket self scans are not customised to each store as have buttons for stuff stores don't sell.

I remember about 10 years ago someone got fined serious money because they weighed everything as bananas. The store didn't sell loose bananas. Only in bunches in bags.

Also scan n go - either using a handset or mobile. Forget to scan that side of salmon. At my last job when a customer got a random check, we were told to do the checks across all their bags and if got items too big for bags - loo roll, large packs of Coke cans, nappies etc - include them. Plus the expensive items. So often we had to do a full rescan because they 'forgot' to scan something expensive.

Another thing - people steal on the shop floor. Supermarkets that had hot chicken counters often found bags of the chicken bones stuffed somewhere as customers grabbed a bag of cooked chicken drumsticks - ate them around the store without paying. Also - get parents opening up a multipack of crisps for their DC - take a pack or two then leave the rest on the shelf.

It’s just dishonest

FairKoala · 27/02/2026 11:09

The biggest problem is the police won’t get involved.

I had my car stolen last year.

Police knew who had stolen it
Apparently he steals 2 or 3 cars per week.

The guy left his mobile phone in the car.

Did they prosecute him

No

Did they even arrest him

No

Did they take the car for forensics/fingerprinting

No

They just carried on with a shrug. What can you do?

Most crimes nationwide I would say are committed by probably a few hundred people

Prosecute those people and take them off the streets and crime would go down dramatically

If we took an over view of how much time and money these multiple crimes by the relatively small amount of people cost the police Taking them off the streets, the cost savings on time and money would build an extra prison to house them in.

I am in favour of the 3 strikes and you’re out for 10 years rule.

Badbadbunny · 27/02/2026 11:21

@FairKoala

The biggest problem is the police won’t get involved.

Nail on the head. As you say, most crimes are committed by serial/repeat offenders but the police still won't do anything about it in most cases. The CPS and courts system doesn't help as the police know they're wasting their time when they expect the CPS not to prosecute.

In our village, we have a well known elderly woman who just randomly shop lifts from our post office, co-op and garage/convenience store. The shop owners/managers constantly report her to the police. Very occasionally, a PCSO will come and have a chat with the owner/manager, view the footage, make a few notes, and go away again. Her name/address is well known as she has been living in the village for decades.

A few weeks ago, I think one particular shop had had enough and posted their CCTV photos of her on the local Facebook page, the other two shops saw the post and posted their own photos. It caused quite a stir with dozens on comments on the Facebook page. Next thing, there's a post from the police force proudly saying they'd arrested her - amazing what people power and a bit of bad publicity will do to get the police to take some action! They ignored repeated reports from the owners/managers but suddenly found the "resources" when they got bad publicity!

Same happened a couple of years ago when there was a facebook post of some feral youths throwing a kitten off the cliffs on the shore. Police post initially said there was "no offence" so they were taking no further action. After dozens of replies to their post criticising them, they suddenly changed their mind and said they'd launch an investigation to "see if any offences had taken place". For God's sake - the video was blatantly obvious that a kitten had been deliberately thrown off the cliff - of course it WAS an offence. Again, it took bad publicity for them to take action.

OonaStubbs · 27/02/2026 11:26

Punishment for shoplifting should be:

1st offence: you lose the middle finger on your right hand.
2nd offence: you lose your left hand.
3rd offence: you lose your right arm.
IMO this would cut shoplifting considerably.

Theturtlesarefighting · 27/02/2026 11:45

Wasn’t there a report that about thousands of carrots were sold, but really it’s shoplifting.
The shoplifting in our village has gone down because unfortunately the man died of a drugs overdose. Very sad for his family but most people didn’t care. He was under 30, what a waste of a life.

YourOliveBalonz · 27/02/2026 11:45

OonaStubbs · 27/02/2026 11:26

Punishment for shoplifting should be:

1st offence: you lose the middle finger on your right hand.
2nd offence: you lose your left hand.
3rd offence: you lose your right arm.
IMO this would cut shoplifting considerably.

I didn’t have ‘bring in Sharia law’ on my bingo card for this thread 😂

climbintheback · 27/02/2026 12:06

I don’t know what the point of security guards are if they just stand there - lock the doors till the cops come - arm them with tasers or pepper spray - spray them with red dye! the cost of living is bad enough without these feckers adding to it!

Judgejudysno1fan · 27/02/2026 12:20

WeepingAngelInTheTardis · 25/02/2026 12:52

The answer is to bring down the cost of living.

No, theyre using it to sell on to then buy drugs.

GasPanic · 27/02/2026 12:23

Theturtlesarefighting · 27/02/2026 11:45

Wasn’t there a report that about thousands of carrots were sold, but really it’s shoplifting.
The shoplifting in our village has gone down because unfortunately the man died of a drugs overdose. Very sad for his family but most people didn’t care. He was under 30, what a waste of a life.

Why would people shoplift carrots ?

They cost next to nothing. I got a massive bag from Aldi the other day for 60p.

If you are going to steal stuff, it makes sense to steal stuff that is expensive. Then you can either consume it yourself at much reduced cost or sell it on for more money.

Edit : OK - I get it, they were pretending the carrots were something more expensive.

Serencwtch · 27/02/2026 12:24

Theturtlesarefighting · 26/02/2026 21:51

I still wouldn’t buy baby formula from the local drug addicts! I would go to a food bank. It’s amazing that it’s the cost of living but the shoplifter are stealing premium brands, to buy drugs.
The price of the premium brands from the shoplifters you could buy SMA baby formula. Same for washing powder or liquid . The stealing of alcohol is destroying small local shops. Especially as police won’t come if under £200.
But who cares as long as it’s Tesco etc, eh.
Shoplifting costs us all and the anti social behaviour it creates.

People aren't buying directly from the thieves. There is a complex organized retail crime network that is essentially a wholesaler.

There will be many small independent businesses who will be buying cheaper goods from these wholesalers to sell on in premises across the UK, Europe and worldwide.

They may be selling stolen goods unknowingly.

You could be buying baby formula (or anything else - branded medication such as nurofen, calpol have recently been targets) from your independent corner shop or online via Amazon etc not knowing it had been stolen.

Daisylove1 · 27/02/2026 12:32

Auburngal · 26/02/2026 22:14

Have you told the buyers

I feel like they know 😂 no one cares. They can get over 100 quids worth of marksies meat for twenty quid