Growing Retail Theft: "Dick's Shrinkage"

[curves2000]

Got to love some of the responses here when it comes to these things. We have normalized this level of behavior and the level of brashness to it, no matter who get's victimized.

Listen, there are some people who are hungry, broke, at their wits end, down on their luck or whatever. I don't agree with it at all but stealing baby formula, peanuts, bacon and canned fish quietly in your pocket is a completely different thing than what we are witnessing in these videos and what is occurring with flash mobs even right here in Calgary.

Smashing, grabbing and assaulting employee's at luxury good stores, jewelry stores or big box retailers is a different thing entirely. The brashness, the violence, the damage to the store, the damage and safety/security of the employee's and customers involved makes this far worse.

No one and I mean no one should be ok with what is going on in these scenarios. It's getting worse and it needs to be stopped and dealt with forcibly. If anyone would like to argue the counterpoint, please feel free to post their home address as I am sure they have valuable goods at home. Plenty of people I know that can break an arm with a tire iron, have their face covered in glass, scare the living hell out of their parents or their girlfriend/wife and rob them of their own personal safety all while collecting whatever valuables they have. If we even hear so much of a peep out of these people than we know where they really stand on this issue. It's ok for Walmart employee's to be scared to hell and assaulted because of garbage people but not CP members? Gotcha.

[Red Slinger]

Originally Posted by Matata

T
Personally, I look forward to being paid a livable wage to write bad poetry and watch Hentai all day.

Wait, are you suggesting that's not what you've been doing here this whole time? All those things you wrote...you were actually serious?

[GordonBlue]

Originally Posted by Dynamic

This thread has too much people making excuses for stealing and almost sympathizing with them. If the government said that starting today you could physically stop thief’s in your store without potential legal repercussions that would stop much of this garbage. Once the figured out companies would rather just pay insurance than actually stop them from stealing, it will only get worse. Everything then gets more expensive for everyone because believe it or not insurance is not free.

no it wouldn't. it would just have those employees getting the crap beat out of them or worse. why should they put their lives on the line from the crap pay and benefits those retailers are giving them?
Or on the other side, a lot of people will be getting killed by the retailers for a small crime.

your idea is stupid and would only make things worse.

I know stealing is wrong and I know it's a crime. but for some people need trumps ethics and morals.

It would be simple.
hold 2 pairs of socks, scan 1 pair, put both in bag.
return a pair of socks with receipt and boom. I have $6. Not hard to do something like that multiple times without having to just outright walk out of the store with stuff.

If I did that, do you really want to physically attack me for it and beat me up or maybe have me beat you. is that $15 bucks an hour to be a hero worth it to end up in the hospital?

Do you also want it to be ok to again beat your kids? maybe not being beaten at home is years later causing all of the morally weak thieves?
What with some of you thinking violence is the answer. it isn't.

[GordonBlue]

Originally Posted by curves2000

Got to love some of the responses here when it comes to these things. We have normalized this level of behavior and the level of brashness to it, no matter who get's victimized.

Listen, there are some people who are hungry, broke, at their wits end, down on their luck or whatever. I don't agree with it at all but stealing baby formula, peanuts, bacon and canned fish quietly in your pocket is a completely different thing than what we are witnessing in these videos and what is occurring with flash mobs even right here in Calgary.

Smashing, grabbing and assaulting employee's at luxury good stores, jewelry stores or big box retailers is a different thing entirely. The brashness, the violence, the damage to the store, the damage and safety/security of the employee's and customers involved makes this far worse.

No one and I mean no one should be ok with what is going on in these scenarios. It's getting worse and it needs to be stopped and dealt with forcibly. If anyone would like to argue the counterpoint, please feel free to post their home address as I am sure they have valuable goods at home. Plenty of people I know that can break an arm with a tire iron, have their face covered in glass, scare the living hell out of their parents or their girlfriend/wife and rob them of their own personal safety all while collecting whatever valuables they have. If we even hear so much of a peep out of these people than we know where they really stand on this issue. It's ok for Walmart employee's to be scared to hell and assaulted because of garbage people but not CP members? Gotcha.

I disagree with violent mob thefts, and I also think you're sick. you'd probably just send your friends after me to prove a point for stealing a pair of socks.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by GordonBlue

I disagree with violent mob thefts, and I also think you're sick. you'd probably just send your friends after me to prove a point for stealing a pair of socks.

Only a Monster would steal socks!! You Monster!!

[GordonBlue]

Originally Posted by Locke

Only a Monster would steal socks!! You Monster!!

they're plain black. not the cool patterned socks.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by GordonBlue

they're plain black. not the cool patterned socks.

Even worse! Wheres my pitchfork?

[GordonBlue]

Originally Posted by Locke

Even worse! Wheres my pitchfork?

thanks for the laugh. need it.
next time will be those low socks with a pom-pom at the back.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by curves2000

Got to love some of the responses here when it comes to these things. We have normalized this level of behavior and the level of brashness to it, no matter who get's victimized.

Listen, there are some people who are hungry, broke, at their wits end, down on their luck or whatever. I don't agree with it at all but stealing baby formula, peanuts, bacon and canned fish quietly in your pocket is a completely different thing than what we are witnessing in these videos and what is occurring with flash mobs even right here in Calgary.

Smashing, grabbing and assaulting employee's at luxury good stores, jewelry stores or big box retailers is a different thing entirely. The brashness, the violence, the damage to the store, the damage and safety/security of the employee's and customers involved makes this far worse.

No one and I mean no one should be ok with what is going on in these scenarios. It's getting worse and it needs to be stopped and dealt with forcibly. If anyone would like to argue the counterpoint, please feel free to post their home address as I am sure they have valuable goods at home. Plenty of people I know that can break an arm with a tire iron, have their face covered in glass, scare the living hell out of their parents or their girlfriend/wife and rob them of their own personal safety all while collecting whatever valuables they have. If we even hear so much of a peep out of these people than we know where they really stand on this issue. It's ok for Walmart employee's to be scared to hell and assaulted because of garbage people but not CP members? Gotcha.

So you and your friends are garbage people?

[Locke]

Originally Posted by GGG

It might be silly but to some degree it’s likely true. Religion likely evolved to maintain social order through self enforcement.

You only need to look at effectivenes of pandemic measures to see the difference between individualist and collectivist societies. Religion was one of the few remaining collectivist pulls in North America so its decrease without replacement is likely to lead to more individualist actions.

This doesn’t mean religion is good or beneficial just that the means of enforcing the social contract will change as a society becomes less religious

I'm not going to get into the Religious element of it, but I do agree with you on the 'Social Contract' part of it.

I said this in other threads, but the 'Normalization' of otherwise intolerable behaviour is becoming a significant problem.

It applies to open drug use just as much as it applies to casual or organized shoplifting/theft.

I empathize when an elderly person has to steal toothpaste or batteries, but lets be honest. Most of this shoplifting theft is well beyond that.

They're not rolling a 'Star Market for a box of quarters' anymore.

They can steal a certain amount, they know it and they plan it.

[Fuzzy14]

It would be simple.
hold 2 pairs of socks, scan 1 pair, put both in bag.
return a pair of socks with receipt and boom. I have $6. Not hard to do something like that multiple times without having to just outright walk out of the store with stuff.

You see strangely knowledgeable about the ins and outs of sock theft...

[Locke]

Originally Posted by GordonBlue

thanks for the laugh. need it.
next time will be those low socks with a pom-pom at the back.

Goddammit...now I've got find my torches too!

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Locke

I'm not going to get into the Religious element of it, but I do agree with you on the 'Social Contract' part of it.

I said this in other threads, but the 'Normalization' of otherwise intolerable behaviour is becoming a significant problem.

It applies to open drug use just as much as it applies to casual or organized shoplifting/theft.

I empathize when an elderly person has to steal toothpaste or batteries, but lets be honest. Most of this shoplifting theft is well beyond that.

They're not rolling a 'Star Market for a box of quarters' anymore.

They can steal a certain amount, they know it and they plan it.

Exactly this. I highly doubt that people stealing basic items, that they otherwise couldn't afford, is a significant part of the theft. It's likely mostly people stealing to support drug addictions or just striaght up thieves, looking to profit.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by GordonBlue

It would be simple.
hold 2 pairs of socks, scan 1 pair, put both in bag.
return a pair of socks with receipt and boom. I have $6.

You'd have a free pair of socks, not $6, since you paid $6 for the one you scanned in the first place.

[Doctorfever]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

You'd have a free pair of socks, not $6, since you paid $6 for the one you scanned in the first place.

Take the second pair back and you’re in the money! $$

[you&me]

Originally Posted by curves2000

Got to love some of the responses here when it comes to these things. We have normalized this level of behavior and the level of brashness to it, no matter who get's victimized.

Listen, there are some people who are hungry, broke, at their wits end, down on their luck or whatever. I don't agree with it at all but stealing baby formula, peanuts, bacon and canned fish quietly in your pocket is a completely different thing than what we are witnessing in these videos and what is occurring with flash mobs even right here in Calgary.

Smashing, grabbing and assaulting employee's at luxury good stores, jewelry stores or big box retailers is a different thing entirely. The brashness, the violence, the damage to the store, the damage and safety/security of the employee's and customers involved makes this far worse.

No one and I mean no one should be ok with what is going on in these scenarios...

I agree with all of this and think any reasonable person should as well.

The part I snipped out... weird way to make a point.

[Nufy]

Originally Posted by Doctorfever

Take the second pair back and you’re in the money! $$

probably store credit only though...

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by blankall

Exactly this. I highly doubt that people stealing basic items, that they otherwise couldn't afford, is a significant part of the theft. It's likely mostly people stealing to support drug addictions or just striaght up thieves, looking to profit.

Agreed. And I think the thieves looking to profit have an easier time justifying their actions if they think it's to the detriment of some faceless corporation that exists solely to extract every penny out their customers that they can, vs. a business that is made up of people that they have more of a relationship.

I know "mom and pop" stores aren't immune from this stuff, but I'd be curious to know if the bigger chains are indeed targeted more.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by iggy_oi

Do you have any data that supports an argument that rich people are responsible for a lot of shoplifting.

I don’t think anyone is saying all people living in poverty steal.

I think you’ll find data shows violent young men with poor self-control and chaotic home lives carry out most thefts. Typically poor or working-class. But it’s not as though they use the money to pay rent or buy groceries for their grandmothers. They spend it on the things aggressive young men with cash in their pocket spend it on (drugs, booze, oakleys) And in the case of organized shoplifting rings, the people running them certainly aren’t living off Kraft dinner.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by GGG

As a percentage of sales how has the value of stolen goods changed over the years?

I'm not sure what I can share, I've moved stores 3 years ago, and it really fluctuates from year to year. But realistically, it was roughly 2% years ago and in some places I've seen as high as 7% of front store sales