Shoplifting in charity shops

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Oreo

Shoplifting like many other things in our country, is now out of control because there are very few consequences.

Exactly!

And Richard Madeley? 🤔

Does anyone remember Lady Isobel Barnettt, the tv personality in the 1950s who was prosecuted for shoplifting? She took her own life. I think she had some sort of compulsion.

I agree it is a very low ebb indeed.

I volunteer in a charity shop and yes shoplifting is a problem . We’ve closed the changing rooms for this reason and no longer have large items on the forecourt as they go missing .
The shoplifters are always in a group of two or three and one will ask for something in the window. Whilst distracted the other two grab items .
I challenged one once as they were leaving and they ran off . It was summer and the door was open.
We don’t have cctv unfortunately and on my session there’s just me and the manager . On other days there’s lots more staff to man the shop . I mentioned to the manager to get the staff to move days , but she said the regular volunteers are stuck in their ways and won’t budge.

Sago

We reeled our granddaughter through the lanes in Brighton.
It was only when we got home we realised she had a real stash of little treasures…all stolen.

😁

I remember going to the supermarket with DD in a buggy many years ago. At that time they used to put little packets of sweets at the checkout. Being busy packing, paying and carefully hanging the bags on the pushchair, I didn't notice until we'd walked home that she had a stash of sweeties in the buggy.

They no longer have sweets at the checkout.

It’s very upsetting. What had society come to? I’m Fedup with people pussyfooting around them as well. Name and shame them. If they’re on benefits then stop their money.

Calendargirl

Someone upthread said about supermarkets giving away fruit and veg.

Tesco are promoting this for children, but the tv advert shows a young lad pinching a grape off a display and running out with it, to be pursued by a huge ‘fruit’ monster.

Might seem insignificant, one grape, but it just trivialises stealing, which is what it is.

Tesco are doing a good thing helping schools provide more healthy food for children and encouraging children to eat more fruit and vegetables, however, I think that advert is horrible.
The monster would terrify me, not encourage me to eat more fruit and veg.

I take the point about the stealing too.

Stealing from charity shops must be a new low though.

Oreo

Greggs are now keeping all food behind the counter, no more help yourself displays as people were really helping themselves to food and walking out.And if I were a store manager I would get people to pay before handing any food over the counter.

Quite right. It’s going to get to a point where shops will put a counter across the door.
When I went to Glasgow, some shops keepers were sat in some kind of cage with a slit. Think maybe off licences.
I watched a YouTube clip where these ‘Roma’ went into a honesty shop & they robbed it blind. Absolutely cheeky.

Or better still, return it as a donation...?

I know it’s good to try on clothes before buying, but seeing as charity shops now have a returns policy the same as other retailers, it’s not as though you are stuck with a garment the wrong size or style.

Just keep your receipt and return it unworn.

TheSunRisesInTheEast

All the charity shops in my town and the neighbouring town have done away with changing rooms because of shoplifting. The worst culprits were the ones with long hair tied back in a headscarf, long flowing skirts and platform mules with socks. Apparently they layer clothes from the shops under their own clothes. Our Asda, Sainsbury's and Tesco never replaced their changing rooms after covid, I don't know why.

Do they had stuff in the headscarf?

Really? I’ve heard it all now 😩
Mind you charity shops are quite expensive now.

All the charity shops in my town and the neighbouring town have done away with changing rooms because of shoplifting. The worst culprits were the ones with long hair tied back in a headscarf, long flowing skirts and platform mules with socks. Apparently they layer clothes from the shops under their own clothes. Our Asda, Sainsbury's and Tesco never replaced their changing rooms after covid, I don't know why.

I am friendly with a manager of a charity shop. They took the changing rooms away because she said there was so much thieving going on in there.
I find it disgraceful that people shoplift but I feel it is worse if it is a charity shop.

There used to signs in charity shops and other shops which read:

Shoplifting is Theft
We Always Prosecute

I haven't seen that sign for years. Of course the first line is still true but the second line isn't.

Oreo

Doodledog

I suspect it's just as easy pickings for some people who have always lived in our country, and who see it as their country too. There is really no need to bring race into this.

Dishonesty is dishonesty, and people (from wherever they originate) stealing from a charity shop are particularly bad, as the whole set up depends on good will, from the donors, from the volunteers and from those paying for the goods.

FYI race has nothing to do with what I said, they are the same race as us.Different countries such as those in Eastern Europe are different to us only by culture/ customs/ language.
This particular shop is plagued by shoplifters from that region.

Okay.

Wheeled not reeled!

We reeled our granddaughter through the lanes in Brighton.
It was only when we got home we realised she had a real stash of little treasures…all stolen.

It was me! Children stealing single grapes is not really up there with people stealing from charity shops though, is it?

Not that I encouraged theft in my kids- though my son when in his pushchair once took the hand off a shop dummy and at another time I took a kinder egg from the shelf!

When I noticed this after we left the shops I promptly turned the buggy round and put them back!

Shoplifting like many other things in our country, is now out of control because there are very few consequences.

Greggs are now keeping all food behind the counter, no more help yourself displays as people were really helping themselves to food and walking out.And if I were a store manager I would get people to pay before handing any food over the counter.

Doodledog

I suspect it's just as easy pickings for some people who have always lived in our country, and who see it as their country too. There is really no need to bring race into this.

Dishonesty is dishonesty, and people (from wherever they originate) stealing from a charity shop are particularly bad, as the whole set up depends on good will, from the donors, from the volunteers and from those paying for the goods.

FYI race has nothing to do with what I said, they are the same race as us.Different countries such as those in Eastern Europe are different to us only by culture/ customs/ language.
This particular shop is plagued by shoplifters from that region.

I put some of my grandchildren’s toys I kept at our home on FB.
They were free of charge.
A man messaged to say he collected toys for children of low income families, could he have them?
Fortunately before I responded someone messaged to say he had a regular car boot pitch selling the toys.