Shoplifting

I saw a man brazenly attempt to steal 2 bottles of champagne in M&S.
He walked briskly back through the Food hall avoiding the till area,
into the Clothing dept and towards the entrance door, but a Security chap blocked his escape.

Yes quite often in the charity shop I work in We have challenged and banned some, I caught out one very well dressed nicely spoken young man with his car outside I didn’t accuse him but engaged in cheerful conversation walking with him towards the counter with his basket full of items where he unfortunately found he’d left his card at home !!!! We kept a keen eye on a lady with a pram who I knew had stolen before, again well dressed very personable we pottered around tidying where she was ‘ looking’ and she knew I knew and hasn’t been back since
These are not poor people, and we lose a lot it’s awful because it makes you doubt everyone

Shop lifting isn't new. Years ago I used to shop in a complex that had clothing shops near the entrance. I noticed a woman taking clothes of the hangers and popping them in her bag.
I went over to the counter and told the assisstant I had just seen someone stealing clothes, but she just shrugged her shoulders.
'If I report it no one will do anything,' she said, 'it happens all the time...'

Yes in Lidl they just ran out, the staff called the police but obviously didn't try to stop them.

BlueBelle

Yes quite often in the charity shop I work in We have challenged and banned some, I caught out one very well dressed nicely spoken young man with his car outside I didn’t accuse him but engaged in cheerful conversation walking with him towards the counter with his basket full of items where he unfortunately found he’d left his card at home !!!! We kept a keen eye on a lady with a pram who I knew had stolen before, again well dressed very personable we pottered around tidying where she was ‘ looking’ and she knew I knew and hasn’t been back since
These are not poor people, and we lose a lot it’s awful because it makes you doubt everyone

DD3 worked at Budgens when she was a student. They were told not to challenge but to follow and stand next to known offenders.

Golly BlueBelle- stealing from a charity shop is pretty low.....

kittylester

BlueBelle

Yes quite often in the charity shop I work in We have challenged and banned some, I caught out one very well dressed nicely spoken young man with his car outside I didn’t accuse him but engaged in cheerful conversation walking with him towards the counter with his basket full of items where he unfortunately found he’d left his card at home !!!! We kept a keen eye on a lady with a pram who I knew had stolen before, again well dressed very personable we pottered around tidying where she was ‘ looking’ and she knew I knew and hasn’t been back since
These are not poor people, and we lose a lot it’s awful because it makes you doubt everyone

DD3 worked at Budgens when she was a student. They were told not to challenge but to follow and stand next to known offenders.

The same with Sainsbury's. My youngest son works for them and they are told not to try to apprehend anyone shoplifting but alert security. The police will not attend for anything under £200. Sometimes words fail me. This is one of those times.

The most blatant I saw were two women in M&S High St Kensington.
They were filling their burkas with all kinds of goods, I reported it to staff who said they could do nothing.
The reason being there had to be an Imam present when they were searched, only female officers could search them and a translator would be requested.
Even if these conditions were met they then often claimed diplomatic immunity.
I was so incensed I told staff I wouldn’t buy my goods, handed them back and flounced off!
I then took a bus over to the Marble Arch store and purchased them there!
It was a dress and shoes for a dinner I was attending, I wore the dress for many occasions over 15 years then handed it to my daughter!

Not sure I understand the "moral" of you tale Sago, if there is one.

Firstly not buying goods and flouncing out of a Marks and Spencer store in High St Ken, after witnessing blatant shop lifting going unpunished for quite complicated reasons. Then bussing over to the Marble Arch to buy the same items from the Marks and Spencer shop there doesn't appear to me to be a very logical or effective way of showing your disapproval.

Am I missing something?

Was behind a young chap in a B&M type store. He paid for the few items he had, then the checkout man said, “What about the chocolate bar sticking out of your pocket?”

The lad just shrugged, and left.

I looked askance at the checkout person, He said ‘They’re just so blatant about it, but we can’t do anything.”

I noticed he alerted the manager to the offender, hope he’s banned in the future.

BlueBelle
The same in our shop. People in wheelchairs, mothers with prams. The scum don’t realise that there are cameras everywhere.
Just the other day we were accused of being racist when we pulled over an Asian lady. My manager showed her the CCTV where upon she flounced out.

Chocolatelovinggran

Golly BlueBelle- stealing from a charity shop is pretty low.....

Yes, I volunteer at a charity shop and shop lifting is common. 🥲

I was sitting waiting for a vaccination appt. upstairs in a large Boots when I noticed a girl spending a long time by a nearby display - in a relatively quiet area. She had an evidently new Boots plastic bag, and just as I was thinking she might be going to nick something, she quickly slipped something into the bag and scooted off.
There were no staff nearby to tell - not that anyone would probably have done anything.

Many years ago I had gone to out local chemist/general store to buy a fabric dye. I chose the colour I wanted and put the small tin on the counter top whilst I browsed for some envelopes. Another customer goes up to the counter and pockets the fabric dye…………I loudly said “hey, that’s mine, I put it there as I haven’t paid for it yet”! I was very very loud and assertive. He swiftly put it back on the counter and mumbled something about it being left behind by another customer. I have since done something similar when I see people blatantly shoplifting although I guess it isn’t wise these days. Shame on anyone who doesn’t pay for what they take!

I saw a rather grubby very young man run out of Sainsbury’s recently with 2 carrier bags stuffed with food, two security guards caught him and marched him back through the shop.
I felt really sorry for him.

One of the shops near us has put up a photo board of people ‘banned’ from their store. Not sure where they got the photos from, possibly CCTV. I’m pretty sure it is not legal to do this here but good on them. Someone has to do something. The rest of us pay more because of these argholes

My son tells me in their nearby Co-op, it certainly happens, he bumped into a teen recently making a hurried exit with an armful of what looked like multi packs of crisps. The staff don't challenge, I think they've been told not to. Co-ops seem to be a soft target, it's a shame son and girlfriend were very pleased to get this very local to them shop, so handy for bread, milk and other essentials they run out of.

A long time ago I was in town and I went into a shop and bought some clothes for my, then baby, GS. For some reason the assistant left them on hangers when she put them in a bag.

I noticed after a while that the hangers were ripping the plastic bag they were in so I went to the nearest litter bin, which was outside BHS and started to dispose of them. Within minutes a female PC grabbed me by the arm and accused me of nicking the clothes so I showed her the receipt and offered to return to the shop with her. By this time there was quite a crowd of rubber necks. Apparently, I had been caught on CCTV by BHS who later apologised and sent me a £10 voucher.

I rang the police to complain about my heavy handed treatment and the liaison officer advised me to 'keep quiet about it' and offered no apology. I don't know if my ethnicity had anything to do with all this.

Of course this would not happen these days as police don't patrol shopping precincts anymore and low value shop lifting
does not seem to be a crime any longer.

Last time I was in London a man ran into Sainsburys and stole a leg of meat. Staff chased but he got away.
2 respectable women I know were accused and mentioned in the paper. One was a teacher recently bereaved so her mind may have been on other things.

I was nearly knocked over by a man running very fasr out of Tesco carrying 2 bottles of whisky. He was followed a few mins later by a security man and an employee. I said "he went that way" but he was too fast for them to follow. I did hope that he might trip up and drop the bottles.

LadyGracie

I saw a rather grubby very young man run out of Sainsbury’s recently with 2 carrier bags stuffed with food, two security guards caught him and marched him back through the shop.
I felt really sorry for him.

I get that, but it is wrong to steal, I would not say because someone looks grubby they deserve pity, where as the well presented woman is alful, they are both thieving and they both know its wrong.
We cannot start where we feel sorry for one and condemn the other.

Yes, a long while ago though. In Debenhams, it was perfume or make up. And in M&S food hall. Both times I reported it to security but they couldn’t do anything as they had to witness it and neither store had cameras.

I once saw a girl of about 6 casually pick up a small toy from one of those big baskets/bins that clutter up the aisles, and stuff it in her cardigan pocket.
I pointed her out to a member of staff, and he said words to the effect of "look, she's with mum, dad and a load of other family - what can I do?"
I saw his point, and the toy was probably worth only £1, but I was amazed by the casual slick-ness of this child - so deft and professional! What hope have shops when they are so practised at such a young age?

Magenta8

Not sure I understand the "moral" of you tale Sago, if there is one.

Firstly not buying goods and flouncing out of a Marks and Spencer store in High St Ken, after witnessing blatant shop lifting going unpunished for quite complicated reasons. Then bussing over to the Marble Arch to buy the same items from the Marks and Spencer shop there doesn't appear to me to be a very logical or effective way of showing your disapproval.

Am I missing something?

Yes you’re missing a sense of humour!
I had cut my nose off to spite my face so has to traipse across London to get the dress.