The other day at work a woman came into our shop and I distinctively remember her husband walking out with a leather jacket on his back which he plucked from our rails and thanked us with two fingers, a charming sort of guy who ended up in a nice place called prison. Anyway he’s out now and unreformed.
His wife, a small blonde still comes in and we always watch her closely but on this particular day while she was in “browsing” I mentioned to one of the volunteers my particular dislike of this woman and to watch her because she steals. Ten minutes later directly outside of the shop two police officers were quizzing her over some stolen jewellery and they weren’t quiet about it. Apparently some rings had gone missing and they wanted to search her handbag, they let her go and another ten minutes later a police car pulled up outside the shop blocking her and her car in.
She got out and they were asking if she had MOT etc, she started waffling on about not understanding the question (yeah right) she then ran into the shop and asked if she could pay for the shoes she had on her feet and when she tried them on she forgot to pay! After watching her so closely she had managed to walk out the front door in a pair of shoes she hadn’t paid for. After that she was arrested (not because of the shoes unfortunately) Although controversial, the police are a little more relaxed on charity shop theft than in a standard retailer, although this isn’t true in terms, it can feel this way.
She got out and they were asking if she had MOT etc, she started waffling on about not understanding the question (yeah right) she then ran into the shop and asked if she could pay for the shoes she had on her feet and when she tried them on she forgot to pay! After watching her so closely she had managed to walk out the front door in a pair of shoes she hadn’t paid for. After that she was arrested (not because of the shoes unfortunately) Although controversial, the police are a little more relaxed on charity shop theft than in a standard retailer, although this isn’t true in terms, it can feel this way.
Theft is a daily fight, we as retailers forge a war against but often lose as it can go undetected and you have to have a trained eye. One thing I’ve noticed lately is people (particularly women with teenage daughters) donate some bags and two days later come to the till with a selection of items saying “oh I brought some bags in the other day and I’ve accidentally brought some of my daughters clothes in and she’s so upset, can I have them back, I don’t think I should pay for them” what do you do? It’s a hard one as accidents happen but it’s happening more and more, coincidence or organised theft?
I remember one occasion when working with probation workers who were doing community service hours - they wanted to place lady in our shop who had just been convicted of stealing from a charity shop. Work that one out.
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