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Topic Redux

November 19th, 2009 at 01:17 am

As a kind of follow-up to the theft blog, I just read an article on the 10 most shoplifted items in 2009. Their list included electronics, high end clothes, baby formula(?),shaving razor refills, makeup, and some others. I worked in retail for a few years, in a dollar/dime store, and our top 2 (way above anything else) were home pregnancy tests and candy! The candy I always presumed were kids, we would find empty candy wrappers stuffed in corners all over the store. And the candy aisle was directly in front of the checkout! But the home pregnancy tests, I hope weren't kids. We would stock 5 each of three different kinds (15) and at the end of weeks totals, maybe 6 had been paid for, and they were ALL GONE! So we finally put them behind the counter, and I don't think that we sold 3 a week. Maybe people were too embarassed to ask for them? On the other hand, condoms were already behind the counter, and we had plenty of people ask for THEM. Another big target was haircolor! This was a little different. They would take out the contents, or part of the contents, and leave the empty box, neatly reclosed, on the shelf. We finally started sealing the ends of the boxes with clear packing tape before we put them on the shelf. This did slow it down quite a bit, but it still happened. First aid supplies was another, open a box of band-aids and take out some, but not all. How many people count the band-aids in the box before they buy them? I guess if you are determined enough, you can figure out a way to steal most anything (sadly). If only they used their power for good instead of evil!

3 Responses to “Topic Redux”

  1. firstthingsfirst Says:
    1258593704

    I work retail too, and it blows my mind the lengths people will go to steal things.

    At some point, I got past the "that's just wrong" phase when dealing with it, and now I just get plain mad. We stress so much and do so many little things in the hopes that someone will buy one more item and make us a few extra bucks in profit, and then ten times that amount is walking out the door in somebody's pocket. It's infuriating.

  2. Joan.of.the.Arch Says:
    1258649080

    Interesting.

  3. wowitsawonderfullife Says:
    1258670705

    I think shop lifting is disgusting. It's just beyond me why people think they have the right to do this. Last Christmas I nailed someone in a store who was switching price tags. I didn't work there but just said they were doing nothing better than stealing. A long time ago I was walking past a very high end jewellery and gift store. There was a guy (in front of the glass window no less), stuffing a large marble carving into his leather jacket. I told security and he actually ran after me (I was 8 months pregnant at the time). The nerve of some people!!!

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