On a rainy Tuesday afternoon, Simon* looks up at the customer entering his supermarket in a quiet residential part of Mount Gambier, in regional South Australia.
Key points:
- Retailers say snatch-and-grabs and swarming thefts are “out of control” in parts of regional SA and Adelaide
- Smaller supermarkets, bottle shops, petrol stations and single worker retailers are being targeted
- The Shop Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association has called for improved staff safety measures
He knows the face.
He knows the routine.
He even has a printed, colour photo of the customer pinned to a wall in the back of the store, where a sign reads “shoplifters will be prosecuted, security cameras in place”.
This customer has come to “snatch-and-grab” — a shoplifting practice so common it’s “a daily occurrence” for a growing number of retailers across the state and country.
The act involves offenders, usually unarmed, entering retail stores like supermarkets and service stations and taking items — stuffing them into pockets, backpacks, bags and even prams — before making a quick exit.
Simon, who wished to remain anonymous to avoid “retaliation or targeting” of his independent supermarket, said it was a huge problem “and it’s only getting bigger”.
“We had a patch about eight months ago where it was happening every day, usually by the same offenders,” he said.
“Sometimes it’s high value items, but often it’s just basic household goods.”
Simon, who owns the store with his brother, has since installed 60 security cameras at a cost of $15,000, to deter would-be thieves and help prosecute those who steal from the shop.
“The police are doing a good job, and we can provide high resolution images as well as time-lapse footage, but the justice system doesn’t take the matter seriously,” he said.
“Shoplifting is just not a priority.”
Simon said he and his brother were now working 100-hour weeks to ensure “one of us is always available to support staff in case of snatch-and-grabs or swarming”.
The latter practice involved groups of thieves “hitting up a store en masse, and rapidly taking armfuls of items before quickly exiting”.
“It’s all over in a matter of seconds or minutes,” Simon said.
“We have also put a panic button in for our staff to keep them safe … the issue takes a huge toll on them.”
Rising cost of living ‘has played a part’
Sam Jain manages the Foodland supermarket in the busy Mount Gambier Central marketplace and tells a similar story.
“People are just coming in every other day, all ages — even young kids — and stuffing items into their pants or jackets and just walking out,” he said.
“Sometimes they even come in and just eat the products right here in the store.”
He said as a manager, and as per the store rules, he attempted to search bags and clothing when shoplifting was suspected, but the attempts were often “futile”.
“They just keep walking, or get aggressive or shout, and what can I do?” he said.
Mr Jain said the rising cost of living “has played a part” in the overall rise of snatch-and-grab thefts.
“But the cost of living has gone up for everyone — and not everyone chooses to steal,” he said.
“Most of the items stolen are higher value items, but it’s also a big expense for smaller operators to invest in security measures to protect those items.”
Mr Jain said the cost and time associated with prosecuting was also a deterrent for retailers.
“The cost to us from the thefts is hundreds of dollars at a time … but the cost and time to take the matters further — especially when there’s a low chance of conviction or a token punishment — is also a burden for us,” he said.
Current laws ‘reasonably appropriate’
Tony Kerin, the chair of Law Society SA’s criminal law committee, said he was aware of increased shoplifting in the state’s south east, with cost-of-living increases a major factor.
“I suspect it’s related to what is a very difficult time for a lot of people, and families in particular,” he said.
“All the basics have gone up quite considerably.”
However, he said the Law Society believed current legislation was “reasonably appropriate” in balancing protection for shop owners and shoplifters.
“The laws don’t need changing so much as the causes of the rise in shoplifting, which are the cost-of-living expenses,” he said.
Mr Kerin said shop owners could make bag checks a condition of entry as a deterrence.
Staff told ‘don’t be a hero’
Shop Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association (SDA) secretary Josh Peak said there had been a significant rise in snatch-and-grab and swarming thefts from retail stores in the past 12 months.
“Not only is this bad for the employer but it’s bad for our sector — we want to make sure that workers have a safe workplace,” Mr Peak said.
“These kinds of events absolutely threaten staff, not just in terms of their physical and mental wellbeing, but … their livelihood, because it ultimately pushes up the cost of doing business for employers.
“It puts pressure on prices and wages.”
Mr Peak said the SDA continued to advise retail workers to “never to put themselves in harm’s way” or “try to be a hero” over a snatch-and-grab or swarming thefts.
“We strongly encourage workers not to do anything that risks their health and safety,” he said.
He said the issue was rampant in some parts of the state.
“There are certainly places in regional areas where these events are happening at rates that are out of control. It’s not just a city issue — there are hot spots right across the industry and landscape,” he said.
“Smaller supermarkets, bottle shops, petrol stations and places where there’s often only one worker present are frequently targeted.”
Mr Peak said the SDA was calling for a review of single-worker workplaces to provide protection for personnel.
*Named changed to protect privacy.
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