Retail theft is the worst it’s been in four decades, according to an industry consultant.
Stephen O’Keefe of Bottom Line Matters told 680 CJOB’s The Start that, despite some perceptions, it’s not a victimless crime.
“The nature of the theft has an increased level of violence that’s taking place,” he said. “So it does affect the consumer. They’re in harm’s way, from a safety standpoint, when they’re in a store and pepper spray is being deployed.
“It also has an effect on the staff — who are your neighbours, your parents, your kids, who are working in the stores.”
Over the past month, Winnipeg police have arrested more than 150 people as part of a wider strategy to slow down rampant shoplifting.
At a news conference Monday, police said the new initiative — in partnership with the Retail Council of Canada and the city’s business community — comes at a time of increasing violence at local businesses.
According to police statistics, nearly 4,000 incidents of shoplifting for items under $5,000 occurred between January and August, representing a 44 per cent increase over the same period last year.
O’Keefe said there’s often an organized crime element to retail theft, although that term can be easily misinterpreted.
“It’s where one or two or more people are organized in the efforts to steal, and they generally steal like items,” he said.
“They’re not stealing one or two items from a store, but they’re stealing 10 of the exact same unit and they’re using them for the purpose of resell.”
The people stealing the items typically give them to another group that sells them online, or in some cases, right back to the original retailer.
Shoplifting, O’Keefe said, also means you’ll pay more for goods, as retailers often end up raising prices to make up for lost profits.
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