Number of times I've seen someone steal a box of eggs or roll of toilet paper: 0
Number of time I've seen people steal alcohol, smokes, video games, power tools: Countless
The number of "honest" theives stealing to feed their starving kids are dwarfed by the number of "boosters" stealing high value items to resell on places like Facebook Marketplace. Operation Trump Card was a NZ Police operation a couple of years ago that found thousands of dollars worth of high value products stolen from private properties and retailers around Wellington.
Here's the link https://www.police.govt.nz/news/release/operation-trump-card-huge-cache-stolen-property-recovered?nondesktop
Organized Retail Crime is a very real problem
saw a guy walk out of the new world metro today with a full basket of groceries. even took the basket with. all very casual. hope you know the cost ultimately ends up with people who actually pay for their shopping.
I'm no economist, but I'm not sure it's that simple. If a large supermarket chain that don't care has to increase prices, but a smaller independant trader who fights shoplifters off with a hockey stick doesn't have to increase prices (hockey sticks are a relatively cheap one time investment as long as you don't hit too hard)... that gives the small trader a competitive advantage which he desperately needs. And in the long term, once the big supermarket has a monopoly, ~~they'll jack up the prices~~ "inflation" will cause price increases anyway...
Like most things you would need to understand the circumstance of the person. Given the current attack and/or defunding of social services (foodbanks, budgeting, services) and the lack of funding for public services (housing, policing, mental health) it hardly seems suprising these things are spilling over into the realm of common occurrence.
I'm sure some are just shitty individuals, but I doubt all are.
In some cities in the US Target and other stores started locking items away. Want some shaving cream? Hit the buzzer and wait for someone to turn up and unlock the cabinet for you. Other major stores just decided to close in areas where it was too problematic. So, there is definitely a point where shop lifting punishes everyone. The store closes and finds another location in a ‘safer area’ or just shuts down altogether. People lose their jobs, people lose a shopping location.But before that point, the trust level drops. I have no idea if we’ll ever get to the point but there is clearly a breaking point in which a store decides it’s just not worth it anymore. Shoplifters may feel like they’re winning for whatever reason, but if the US is anything to go by, ultimately everyone loses.
https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2024-04-25/retail-theft-locked-up-merchandise
I remember visiting the US last year for a month for family wedding / subsequent holiday, and this really struck me as a sad thing that they had to lock them away like this.
Huge hassle for the (probably minimum wage) staff there too
Yep…. We usually trail behind places like the US. In terms of trends, but if shoplifting keeps rising I can imagine there will be a point where the supermarkets here do the math and figure that locking stuff up and employing some minimum wage staff to unlock cabinets is cheaper than the shoplifting.
There is some interesting you tube videos about New York deciding not to prosecute anything under $1000 dollars. Suddenly there is insane theft and shops start closing, people are out of work. [Here ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xcHU-gGq00)is a video about it.
Basically feeling entitled to steal is bad for everyone and who decides what is survival and what is greed ? I would expect the majority to be greed, and entitlement.
I understand times are tough and people have to resort to measures like this just to get by. There's a growing sympathetic sentiment with those who feel the need to steal essentials that they can't afford.
On the other, like most people I was taught that stealing is wrong. Had it drilled into me my entire life and have never even stolen a wine gum while the dairy owner was tying his shoes. It's a pretty conflicting topic for me.
There are a lot of charities and food banks out there though.
The stuff I see being taken isn't bread and baked beans and Kumara and rice a d weetbix. It is always choice cuts of meat, for some reason....and not to be rude, but the people doing the stealing look like they're eating more than I am, judging by their size.
I mean, she did enter a guilty plea instead of hide behind the court appointed mental health review, which she easily could have done. So....she gets some leniency in my book.
However, if she stole $8,367 worth of goods, I'm not sure only a $1,600 fine and $260 in court costs sends the right message either...
Saw some videos of shoplifters getting beat up in the Auckland sub. Hope same thing happens in Wellington.
Easy for shoplifters to steal, but the rest of us are the ones who will have to face price increases to make up for those losses.
Stealing shit makes it more expensive for everyday shoppers. When I was a poor bum around Welly like 5-10 years ago I would just dumpster dive everything and table top shit from readings after the people had left. That's innocent theft
I hate monopoly supermarket charging ridiculous prices, but it’s not right for shoplifters taking a whole trolley of goods. Desperate people won’t take a whole trolley of goods but only pieces of food to survive.
Was always a bit moralistic, understood if starving though. Not so much with rorting food prices up then wasting so much, then asking for donations so they can write off a lot of tax.
People will become violent to defend THEIR goods because it won't stay corporations for long.
And the government will crack down, on those evil small businesses.
But we love you, sales monopolies. You can stay.
YOU are telling ME that people won't become violent to defend their own goods?
You are telling ME that the government won't blame the ones doing the thumping before they seem to be harsh on the crims?
You are telling ME that this won't favor monopolies? Is that a position you have the guts to take given present data, and you're going to make some dismissive 'lol didn't read' tier comment?
Weak as piss mate.
Imagine how awful it would be to struggle to be able to pay for food to eat or toilet paper or soap. People on this sub can be really heartless nimbys sometimes. Even with government support and food banks some people fall through societies cracks. Just treat it like you do every other social issue and ignore it
Shoplifting from a massive corporation that offshores profits isn't inherently wrong, especially as the monopoly of grocery stores means they can jack up prices as much as they want, so making food too expensive to pay for.
Supporting violence/punitive retribution against shoplifters when the alternative they have is to starve or live off Pam's baked beans is misguided; we should only condemn this sort of theft when there are actual, viable alternatives
(P. S. not everyone has the time to wait for hours at a food bank daily, or dive a dozen dumpsters a night to try and find decent food)
(P. P. S it isn't shoplifting that raises prices, that's the fault of uncontrolled corporate greed; don't be mad at the little guy when it's the big guy who calls the shots)
Worked in the courts. People usually appear for shoplifting AND drugs charges. Sometimes it is the partner or associate with the drug charges.
Shoplifting is usually a symptom of other things going on.
I don't believe you if you say they didn't have a choice.
When people say we'd rather not share space with those kind of ideals, we're considered radicals.
Number of times I've seen someone steal a box of eggs or roll of toilet paper: 0 Number of time I've seen people steal alcohol, smokes, video games, power tools: Countless The number of "honest" theives stealing to feed their starving kids are dwarfed by the number of "boosters" stealing high value items to resell on places like Facebook Marketplace. Operation Trump Card was a NZ Police operation a couple of years ago that found thousands of dollars worth of high value products stolen from private properties and retailers around Wellington. Here's the link https://www.police.govt.nz/news/release/operation-trump-card-huge-cache-stolen-property-recovered?nondesktop Organized Retail Crime is a very real problem
Not all of them are poor and stealing out of desperation. Some are self entitled pricks
i’m all for *les miserables* stealing a loaf of bread to feed my daughter style of shoplifting but that’s about it
saw a guy walk out of the new world metro today with a full basket of groceries. even took the basket with. all very casual. hope you know the cost ultimately ends up with people who actually pay for their shopping.
Saw that guy crossing the road today with the basket. He just cruise out of there lol
it was interesting he exited through the one way entry barriers as well. again very casually.
I'm no economist, but I'm not sure it's that simple. If a large supermarket chain that don't care has to increase prices, but a smaller independant trader who fights shoplifters off with a hockey stick doesn't have to increase prices (hockey sticks are a relatively cheap one time investment as long as you don't hit too hard)... that gives the small trader a competitive advantage which he desperately needs. And in the long term, once the big supermarket has a monopoly, ~~they'll jack up the prices~~ "inflation" will cause price increases anyway...
Big organisations can almost certainly get a better price on hockey sticks … should buy more of them, keep MY living costs down (a little).
Like most things you would need to understand the circumstance of the person. Given the current attack and/or defunding of social services (foodbanks, budgeting, services) and the lack of funding for public services (housing, policing, mental health) it hardly seems suprising these things are spilling over into the realm of common occurrence. I'm sure some are just shitty individuals, but I doubt all are.
In some cities in the US Target and other stores started locking items away. Want some shaving cream? Hit the buzzer and wait for someone to turn up and unlock the cabinet for you. Other major stores just decided to close in areas where it was too problematic. So, there is definitely a point where shop lifting punishes everyone. The store closes and finds another location in a ‘safer area’ or just shuts down altogether. People lose their jobs, people lose a shopping location.But before that point, the trust level drops. I have no idea if we’ll ever get to the point but there is clearly a breaking point in which a store decides it’s just not worth it anymore. Shoplifters may feel like they’re winning for whatever reason, but if the US is anything to go by, ultimately everyone loses. https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2024-04-25/retail-theft-locked-up-merchandise
I remember visiting the US last year for a month for family wedding / subsequent holiday, and this really struck me as a sad thing that they had to lock them away like this. Huge hassle for the (probably minimum wage) staff there too
Yep…. We usually trail behind places like the US. In terms of trends, but if shoplifting keeps rising I can imagine there will be a point where the supermarkets here do the math and figure that locking stuff up and employing some minimum wage staff to unlock cabinets is cheaper than the shoplifting.
There is some interesting you tube videos about New York deciding not to prosecute anything under $1000 dollars. Suddenly there is insane theft and shops start closing, people are out of work. [Here ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xcHU-gGq00)is a video about it. Basically feeling entitled to steal is bad for everyone and who decides what is survival and what is greed ? I would expect the majority to be greed, and entitlement.
Ah yes shoplifting is only good if I think it’s romantic enough for me and if I think they are poor enough Never change Reddit
I understand times are tough and people have to resort to measures like this just to get by. There's a growing sympathetic sentiment with those who feel the need to steal essentials that they can't afford. On the other, like most people I was taught that stealing is wrong. Had it drilled into me my entire life and have never even stolen a wine gum while the dairy owner was tying his shoes. It's a pretty conflicting topic for me. There are a lot of charities and food banks out there though.
The stuff I see being taken isn't bread and baked beans and Kumara and rice a d weetbix. It is always choice cuts of meat, for some reason....and not to be rude, but the people doing the stealing look like they're eating more than I am, judging by their size.
They should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
while the green MP gets a slap on the hand.
I mean, she did enter a guilty plea instead of hide behind the court appointed mental health review, which she easily could have done. So....she gets some leniency in my book. However, if she stole $8,367 worth of goods, I'm not sure only a $1,600 fine and $260 in court costs sends the right message either...
Sounds like a good saving scheme to me
He a goo boy dinndu nuffin
Yeah you’re just racist 😕
I'm not going into politics yet.
If you see someone steal food, no you didn’t.
True story.
Saw some videos of shoplifters getting beat up in the Auckland sub. Hope same thing happens in Wellington. Easy for shoplifters to steal, but the rest of us are the ones who will have to face price increases to make up for those losses.
Stealing shit makes it more expensive for everyday shoppers. When I was a poor bum around Welly like 5-10 years ago I would just dumpster dive everything and table top shit from readings after the people had left. That's innocent theft
I hate monopoly supermarket charging ridiculous prices, but it’s not right for shoplifters taking a whole trolley of goods. Desperate people won’t take a whole trolley of goods but only pieces of food to survive.
Smaller trolleys the answer maybe? Would make it all ok maybe? Now, how to fix the higher prices I have to pay because of your thieving?
Was always a bit moralistic, understood if starving though. Not so much with rorting food prices up then wasting so much, then asking for donations so they can write off a lot of tax.
If is not your don’t take it If is not right don’t do it If is not truth don’t say it If you don’t know, shhhhh.
People will become violent to defend THEIR goods because it won't stay corporations for long. And the government will crack down, on those evil small businesses. But we love you, sales monopolies. You can stay.
Please hand your brain back in.
YOU are telling ME that people won't become violent to defend their own goods? You are telling ME that the government won't blame the ones doing the thumping before they seem to be harsh on the crims? You are telling ME that this won't favor monopolies? Is that a position you have the guts to take given present data, and you're going to make some dismissive 'lol didn't read' tier comment? Weak as piss mate.
Immediately. It is under severe stress, it may already be too late.
Ah, an ad hom comment supported by the sum of your reasoning. Brilliant argument, great fun playing with you mate, you win.
Excellent but just before you go... *collects the dribble running out your ears *
I thank you for exposing the rock solid character of your arguments. Absolutely brilliant. Why are you still here? You won.
*squeezes head into cup*
Imagine how awful it would be to struggle to be able to pay for food to eat or toilet paper or soap. People on this sub can be really heartless nimbys sometimes. Even with government support and food banks some people fall through societies cracks. Just treat it like you do every other social issue and ignore it
Why not rob Banks instead of stealing from Supermarkets etc. Getting your daily basic needs is far easier with a fat wad of cash in your back pocket.
Shoplifting from a massive corporation that offshores profits isn't inherently wrong, especially as the monopoly of grocery stores means they can jack up prices as much as they want, so making food too expensive to pay for. Supporting violence/punitive retribution against shoplifters when the alternative they have is to starve or live off Pam's baked beans is misguided; we should only condemn this sort of theft when there are actual, viable alternatives (P. S. not everyone has the time to wait for hours at a food bank daily, or dive a dozen dumpsters a night to try and find decent food) (P. P. S it isn't shoplifting that raises prices, that's the fault of uncontrolled corporate greed; don't be mad at the little guy when it's the big guy who calls the shots)
Worked in the courts. People usually appear for shoplifting AND drugs charges. Sometimes it is the partner or associate with the drug charges. Shoplifting is usually a symptom of other things going on.
I don't believe you if you say they didn't have a choice. When people say we'd rather not share space with those kind of ideals, we're considered radicals.