A 15% explosion in police shoplifting, a 50% increase in security hiring in Garda, threats of closures on the horizon… Inflation is wreaking havoc on shops.
“We have 1,706 shoplifting files, compared to 1,478 in 2021, even though 2022 is not even over yet,” confirmed a spokesman for Sûreté du Québec (SQ).
“During the pandemic, we saw a 25% increase in demand for shoplifting agents. In recent months, demand for ground detectives has risen by almost 50% with inflation,” says Marc-André Plaisance, Director of Loss Prevention at Garda.
“People call us and tell us they find empty packaging, missing perfumes, drills. We then accompany them with agents during the hours when the flights take place,” he explains.
In early December, a TVA report reported Ontario thieves who had come to Trois-Rivières to steal more than $4,000 worth of meat from grocery stores.
Beef, horse steak, salmon… the thieves were caught in the act after stealing groceries from four grocery stores in the Mauricie region.
Towards closure?
While Walmart CEO Doug McMillon in the United States has gone so far as to say that the rise in thefts could force him to close stores, his Quebec office is concerned about the rise in thefts and arson here.
“This is of great concern to our company, our employees, our customers and the industry,” said spokesman Steeve Azoulay.
“Walmart Canada employs a variety of measures to manage and prevent theft and ensure the safety of our employees and customers. We also want to reduce theft as much as possible to keep our daily rates low,” he continues.
At the Retail Council of Canada (RCCC), its President – Quebec, Michel Rochette makes no bones about it: the topic often dominates discussions.
“We can assume that inflation plays a big role,” he says.
“We don’t have numbers to say whether the devices are stolen or not, but we can see an increase in items being offered for sale on the Internet,” explains the Quebec-based CCCD chairman.
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lack of employees
According to Marc-André Plaisance from Garda, dealers have had to call in guards in recent months due to a lack of staff.
“Companies are understaffed so people think the flights are in the evenings, but that’s not necessarily true, it can be on Monday mornings or when there are just fewer employees,” he continues.
“A smaller company that didn’t necessarily have the ability to put the controls in place is at even greater risk,” concludes the man who has worked in security for 13 years.
- The Conseil Québécois du Commerce de Retail estimates that our retailers are billed nearly a billion dollars a year for theft and fraud.
Penalties provided for by law
Section 334 of the Criminal Code
1. the stolen item is a testamentary document or its value exceeds 5,000 DM is guilty of:
+ either a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment for a maximum of 10 years
+ either an offense punishable by conviction
2. if the value of the stolen does not exceed $5000, is guilty of:
+ either a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment for a maximum of 2 years
+ either an offense punishable by conviction
Source: Criminal Code
Organized and sophisticated networks at work
Thieves are now targeting store shelves in organized groups to reach their targets, a major retail association has warned.
Photo from LinkedIn
Michael Rochette. Director of the CCCD
“We are seeing organized shoplifting networks increasing,” notes Michel Rochette, President of the Retail Council of Canada (RCCC) in Quebec.
Not only do companies see their ranks being robbed by individuals sneaking into their businesses by stealth, but they also struggle with these organized groups who prepare their heist in more sophisticated ways.
According to him, the opioid crisis in some provinces may have prompted some people to take more structured action.
In the Journal, Michel Rochette says these networks can spread.
“We are also seeing more and more parcel thefts. Sometimes it’s even structured and you see people following the trucks. It’s a phenomenon that we’re observing,” he testifies.
talks with the state
Faced with this scourge, the Retail Council of Canada has begun discussions with governments and law enforcement to warn of the crackdown, which is increasing at breakneck speed.
“It’s important to understand the phenomenon better,” he says.
More internal thefts
“Inflation goes in two minutes if we resell the cheaper goods on resale sites,” said Marc-André Plaisance, director of loss prevention at Garda.
“There’s also internal theft that’s on the rise,” he concludes.
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