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As a young woman, writer Susan Sontag frequented Pickwick Bookstore in Los Angeles and shoplifted literary works. “Each occasional theft would cost me weeks of self-blame and fear of future humiliation, but given my meager pocket money, what could I do?” she later said. wrote.
This makes her a whistleblower, as defined in the canon study A retail theft occurred at a Chicago department store in the 1960s. The informants were amateurs, mostly women, who stole purses and accessories from beautiful displays. Then there are the supporters, a much smaller number of professional thieves who are systematic and ruthless.
Judging by complaints from supermarkets, department stores and electronics retailers about rampant theft, it’s an era of boosters. US chain Target said this week it would close nine stores in cities including New York and San Francisco because “theft and organized retail crime” were posing a threat to the safety of its employees and customers.
Target is one of many retailers warning of a rise in organized theft, including “flash snatchings” where young thieves threaten employees and others shamelessly walk away with large bags full of loot. Dame Sharon White, chairman of John Lewis, this month called shoplifting an “epidemic” and the Co-op supermarket chain said repeated robberies could lead to losses in some areas.
Robbery is not an existential threat to all stores. The National Retail Federation estimated this week that “losses” – including employee and customer theft and missing items – rose to $112 billion last year. But the 1.6% of sales represented have only returned to pre-pandemic levels, with outside theft accounting for only about a third of the total.
Modern-day snitches are still responsible for many shoplifting cases. Detectives used to complain about women sneaking into stores to buy status-enhancing items, but now some families can’t afford essentials. High inflation and poverty bring temptation: even the NRF says social challenges “deserve an empathetic solution”.
Not all stores are closed due to theft. Target, which still has more than 1,900 stores in the United States after closing nine stores, joins other chains that have been hit by consumers cutting back on spending due to rising prices. If you need shrinkage anyway, it’s convenient to blame it.
But there is no use pretending there are no problems. Everyone I spoke to this week had some experience or ripple effect of retail crime. Supermarkets limit the number of trolleys to prevent theft; clothing stores lock their doors to let customers flock in; more and more items are locked in cabinets.
Among the worst affected are retail workers.Even with crime rates in line with historical standards, many people face greater threats abuse In these anxious times, from angry shoppers. Those worst-affected outlets must endure repeated crimes, sometimes violent ones; their compensation is not enough to compensate for this stress.
The technology is readily available on the Internet. A criminal entrepreneur offers “booster bags” shipped from Poland lined with metallic fabric to seal anti-theft tags when goods are placed inside. There are also keys to unlock tags and jammers to block scanners: everything a modern booster could need.
With this level of preparedness, shoplifting becomes organized retail crime as defined by the store, where the purpose of the crime is not consumption but the robbery of cash. It also involves a division of labor: Children’s rifle shops pass goods over the fence and sell them in bulk online. In return for joining a criminal syndicate like Fagin’s, they receive only a small share of the proceeds.
this is not quite ocean 11: Semi-organized is probably a better description. As an NRF study noted, these groups often employ homeless people or drug users as supporters. In fact, drug cartel members would use their free time to steal items from stores as a side job. The greater the urban dysfunction, the greater the potential pool of new recruits.
It’s not clear how to stop it. Shops complain about a lack of police action in response to crimes that, taken individually, are not serious. There is some logic in attacking the same location repeatedly if each theft is below the limit. critical point Felony. Or maybe too many people casually believe that stealing from a chain store is a victimless crime.
I don’t know, but one difference between Sontag’s whistleblowing in the 1940s and the gangs now rampant in Los Angeles is that brick-and-mortar retail was on a much more shaky foundation. Many towns and cities already have enough empty shops without retailers constantly being told that leaving merchandise on display in the open is a fool’s errand.
Sure, supermarkets save money by allowing shoppers to fill their own baskets and check out themselves, but being able to browse freely is an everyday miracle and incredibly convenient. Society would lose a lot if this freedom became a benefit for the privileged, or those who live in places where shops don’t worry about being looted.
john.gapper@ft.com
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