First and foremost, I do not support or endorse shoplifting in any way, shape, or form. However, after working in retail – and a variety of other businesses – I have learned that many chain stores such as Target, Abercrombie & Fitch, and tons more raise their prices (with correlation to the economy) to supplement for any merchandise that is stolen on a daily basis. So, if we are paying for other people to steal, shouldn’t we at least know how they get away with it? Maybe it can help to raise awareness and crack down on the amount of merchandise stolen – who knows? Here are five interesting and creative ways people pull this off.
Tinfoil Bag Lining: While working at Hollister Co., my employer informed the crew that a common way for people to steal clothing was to line the inside of their bag with tinfoil and place the merchandise inside. Subsequently, this would deactivate the magnetic sensors and the person would walk out with no problem. Technology may have improved since then, but I am told it is still a common practice.
The Walk-Out: Having had a couple friends work at Target, I was told that they are notorious for being shoplifted from. Like many stores, Target has a non-confrontational policy where an employee cannot stop you if they witness you placing an item in your bag. The only time a confrontation can occur is if the alarm goes off at the door – which, at Target, that rarely happens. A shoplifter will put the merchandise over their clothes, diassemble the tags, and simply walk out. If the alarm does in fact go off (if there is a magnet attached), a manager is the only person authorized to call the police, and he/she would have to had witnessed it. This makes shoplifting very difficult to deter, especially with the existence of the non-confrontational policy.
Book Theft: Places like Barnes & Noble have a non-confrontational policy as well, although many people are not aware of this. These book stores do, in fact, have alarm systems set up but it is easy for a customer to suggest that they walked out with that book without realizing it. After talking to a former manager of Barnes & Noble, I was told that the books were stamped with peel-off alarms inside random pages of the books. Many times, customer’s would simply remove the magnetic sticker, place it in the bag, and leave.
Bait & Switch: While a little less creative than the others, customer’s have been known to steal merchandise and time their exit so that they pass through the sensors simultaneously with another group of people. In scenarios such as these, people generally walk right out the doors — placing the blame on another individual — and the culprit is free.
Dine & Ditch: This is an old-school trick and doesn’t quite qualify as shoplifting, but it is certainly stealing. Customer’s receive the bill of the meal at a restaurant, casually stand up, and conveniently forget to pay. Unoriginal – but it still happens all the time.
