Shoplifters Are ‘Emboldened’ as Grab-and-Go Phenomenon Hits UK Stores

Retail experts say there is evidence of a black market in meat and cheese

A sign warning shoplifters, outside a branch of Boots the chemist in west London on Sep. 5, 2023. Chris Summers/The Epoch Times

Shoplifters are “emboldened” and are increasingly being co-ordinated by organised criminals who are stealing to order, often in so-called grab-and-go raids, and feeding a black market in everything from cheese and meat to luxury goods, according to two leading retail organisations.

Andrew Goodacre, CEO of the British Independent Retailers Association, said, “In the past, shop theft has been dominated by people who have probably got unfortunately chaotic lives, some sort of dependency on drugs and alcohol, and shoplifting has been a way of sourcing that addiction.”

“But what we’re seeing now is a more organised approach to it. Maybe it’s the cost-of-living crisis, that has created a black market that has suddenly become more lucrative than it was previously. But I think there seems to be a more organised approach to some of the thefts that are taking place,” he added.

He said it appeared county lines gangs had been attracted to shoplifting and he told The Epoch Times: “I was in a small town in Devon recently and they had been hit by a gang from the outside the area who had come in a stolen car, filled up the car, didn’t pay for the petrol, then went around and stole from various shops and disappeared again. All very quick, all very professional in a way, all very organised and certainly not from the area.”

“The county lines element to this is fairly new, but we think it certainly exists and it’s simply because the market must be there to make it more attractive for them, to be this organised,” added Mr. Goodacre.

He said there appeared to be a thriving black market in even basic items such as cheese and meat and retailers were being forced to tag such items, although this only alerted them to theft and did not prevent it happening.

In July a survey conducted by the British Retail Consortium found shoplifting was up 26 percent across ten of Britain’s biggest cities.

Lara Conradie, a spokesperson for the British Retail Consortium, which represents supermarkets and other big chains, said there were signs the UK had imported a trend for mass “grab-and-go” shoplifting from the United States.

She said there were also an increasing number of TikTok videos which encouraged mass theft and even handed out shoplifting tips.

A video doing the rounds on social media this week showed four men—wearing COVID-19 style face masks but otherwise not trying to hide their identity—grabbing piles of clothes from a sports shop in St Albans, Hertfordshire, on Tuesday and brazenly walking out with them, brushing off the protestations of shop assistants.

Retailers Caught in ‘Vicious Cycle’

Ms. Conradie said UK retailers were stuck in a “vicious cycle” where they report shoplifting to the police and it is either not investigated, not prosecuted or leads to a derisory fine. This then discourages them from reporting it in future, which emboldens the shoplifters.

Earlier this week the crime and policing minister, Chris Philp, urged police forces in England and Wales to investigate every shoplifting incident when the value of goods stolen was less than £200.

A shopper walking through the aisle of an unidentified Tesco supermarket in England on Sep. 3, 2022. PA

Mr. Goodacre said some shoplifters appeared to be aware of the £200 threshold and would make sure they did not break that limit, which meant they were often simply sent a fine in the post.

But he said £200 may not be a large sum of money for a big supermarket chain but it would be a big blow to an independent retailer running a corner shop.

Mr. Goodacre said while the managers of a Tesco Express or a Sainsbury’s Local hit by shoplifters were unlikely to challenge shoplifters, that may not be the case for an independent retailer.

‘Natural Inclination’ to Challenge Shoplifters

“If it’s your business, and your savings are tied up in that stock, it’s very difficult just to stand by and let someone take it. So the natural inclination for the small business owner is to become involved, is to challenge, because you’re probably not going to be able to claim it on your insurance, and it’s your livelihood,” he added.

Ms. Conradie said it was incorrect to assume shoplifting was a “victimless crime” and had no effect on the big retail chains or their customers.

She said theft had cost retailers £773 million in the year 2021/2022 and they had spent a further £953 million on crime prevention measures.

Ms. Conradie said the shops would inevitably have to pass on these costs to their customers in the way of higher prices.

She said the BRC was also concerned about rising levels of violence perpetrated against retail staff and was lobbying for a new offence.

“During the pandemic shop workers were considered key workers and we want to see a new offence of assault against a key worker,” said Ms. Conradie, who said organised gangs of shoplifters often come armed with weapons.

“We have heard of people being threatened with an axe and another occasion where someone was stabbed in the cheek with a syringe,” she told The Epoch Times.

Ms. Conradie said she hoped a shoplifting incident would not lead to serious violence or murder and she urged the government to come up with a plan to tackle organised shoplifting gangs.

Following Mr. Philp’s challenge on Monday, police forces across England and Wales have committed to “pursuing all leads where there is a reasonable chance it could result in catching a perpetrator and solving a crime.”

The Home Secretary Suella Braverman, said: “Criminals must have no place to hide. The police’s commitment today is a huge step forward towards delivering the victim-focused, common-sense policing the public deserve.”

Mr. Philp said: “There is no such thing as a minor crime ... Crimes such as shoplifting, phone theft, car theft and burglary profoundly affect business and the public, and all merit proper investigation where there are leads to follow.”