These days, it seems like everything is getting more and more expensive. Rent, power bills, petrol... the list goes on.

For a lot of us on a fixed income, it can be tough to keep up with the rising cost of living – especially on the pension when there's no chance of a ‘salary’ increase to help things along.

Food prices have been steadily increasing for years now, and according to new reports, this has caused a dramatic rise in shoplifting at supermarkets across Australia.

According to an investigation by the ABC, supermarket shoplifting increased by almost 30 per cent in Tasmania in the past year.

Supermarket staff have taken the time to speak out about the rampant shoplifting crises currently plaguing supermarkets around the nation, explaining that thieves have been 'becoming more brazen' and 'violent' as a result of their desperation to acquire food.

Sandra Boland, Manager at one IGA store in Tasmania, revealed to the ABC that she has never seen the rate of shoplifting as high as it is now.

Supermarkets lose 2 to 3 per cent of their revenues from sales due to the increasing cases of theft. Credit: Getty Images.​

She claims that despite installing 30 surveillance cameras at the Newnham store to discourage thieves, nothing seems to be working.

She also described a recent incident at her Newnham store, claiming that a 'young child' (about 16 years old) attempted to take $153 worth of meat concealed in a sports bag.

When the staff member demanded that the thief put it back, they allegedly attacked the employee.

Ms Bolan remarked: 'They're quite obvious about it. They'll just bring a big bag and just fill it and think that you can't do anything to stop them.'

'When you do try, they fight back. They're very very violent so, to me, it's about keeping the staff safe.'

Fortunately, no injuries were reported but Ms Bolan said that this was not the first time this has happened.

Sandra Bolan shared how she got attacked by a shoplifter at the IGA store she was managing. Credit: ABC/Damian McInytre.​

Tasmania Police Inspector Nathan Johnston acknowledged the hardships that many Australians are facing in these trying times, attributing the rise in theft rates to the increasing cost of living and homelessness.

He said: 'For people within that community, it is harder for them to live and survive and, unfortunately, committing crimes to survive is part of their way.'

Meanwhile, Richard Whitten, a Money Expert at Finder, said that people should not be too “fast to judge” those who resort to stealing food, arguing that some Australians are forced to do so out of desperation.

He commented: 'A lot of people are doing it tough as the cost of essentials like petrol, rent and energy have risen sharply.'

'The result is a growing subset of Australians who are stealing consumables to survive.'

Shoplifting may appear to be a ‘victimless crime’ to some, but it has a huge monetary impact on retailers.

According to the Australian Institute of Criminology, retailers lose roughly 2 to 3 per cent of their sales a year to theft. While many shoppers are tempted to give in to the temptation of stealing, it’s important to keep in mind that these actions take a significant toll on small business owners.

Also, please make sure you share this with your friends and family to remind them that shoplifting is a serious crime.

Do you think the government should do something about inflation to protect small businesses from these losses? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

 

[freedy50]

These days, it seems like everything is getting more and more expensive. Rent, power bills, petrol... the list goes on.

For a lot of us on a fixed income, it can be tough to keep up with the rising cost of living – especially on the pension when there's no chance of a ‘salary’ increase to help things along.

Food prices have been steadily increasing for years now, and according to new reports, this has caused a dramatic rise in shoplifting at supermarkets across Australia.

According to an investigation by the ABC, supermarket shoplifting increased by almost 30 per cent in Tasmania in the past year.

Supermarket staff have taken the time to speak out about the rampant shoplifting crises currently plaguing supermarkets around the nation, explaining that thieves have been 'becoming more brazen' and 'violent' as a result of their desperation to acquire food.

Sandra Boland, Manager at one IGA store in Tasmania, revealed to the ABC that she has never seen the rate of shoplifting as high as it is now.

Supermarkets lose 2 to 3 per cent of their revenues from sales due to the increasing cases of theft. Credit: Getty Images.​

She claims that despite installing 30 surveillance cameras at the Newnham store to discourage thieves, nothing seems to be working.

She also described a recent incident at her Newnham store, claiming that a 'young child' (about 16 years old) attempted to take $153 worth of meat concealed in a sports bag.

When the staff member demanded that the thief put it back, they allegedly attacked the employee.

Ms Bolan remarked: 'They're quite obvious about it. They'll just bring a big bag and just fill it and think that you can't do anything to stop them.'

'When you do try, they fight back. They're very very violent so, to me, it's about keeping the staff safe.'

Fortunately, no injuries were reported but Ms Bolan said that this was not the first time this has happened.

Sandra Bolan shared how she got attacked by a shoplifter at the IGA store she was managing. Credit: ABC/Damian McInytre.​

Tasmania Police Inspector Nathan Johnston acknowledged the hardships that many Australians are facing in these trying times, attributing the rise in theft rates to the increasing cost of living and homelessness.

He said: 'For people within that community, it is harder for them to live and survive and, unfortunately, committing crimes to survive is part of their way.'

Meanwhile, Richard Whitten, a Money Expert at Finder, said that people should not be too “fast to judge” those who resort to stealing food, arguing that some Australians are forced to do so out of desperation.

He commented: 'A lot of people are doing it tough as the cost of essentials like petrol, rent and energy have risen sharply.'

'The result is a growing subset of Australians who are stealing consumables to survive.'

Shoplifting may appear to be a ‘victimless crime’ to some, but it has a huge monetary impact on retailers.

According to the Australian Institute of Criminology, retailers lose roughly 2 to 3 per cent of their sales a year to theft. While many shoppers are tempted to give in to the temptation of stealing, it’s important to keep in mind that these actions take a significant toll on small business owners.

Also, please make sure you share this with your friends and family to remind them that shoplifting is a serious crime.

Do you think the government should do something about inflation to protect small businesses from these losses? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

These days, it seems like everything is getting more and more expensive. Rent, power bills, petrol... the list goes on.

For a lot of us on a fixed income, it can be tough to keep up with the rising cost of living – especially on the pension when there's no chance of a ‘salary’ increase to help things along.

Food prices have been steadily increasing for years now, and according to new reports, this has caused a dramatic rise in shoplifting at supermarkets across Australia.

According to an investigation by the ABC, supermarket shoplifting increased by almost 30 per cent in Tasmania in the past year.

Supermarket staff have taken the time to speak out about the rampant shoplifting crises currently plaguing supermarkets around the nation, explaining that thieves have been 'becoming more brazen' and 'violent' as a result of their desperation to acquire food.

Sandra Boland, Manager at one IGA store in Tasmania, revealed to the ABC that she has never seen the rate of shoplifting as high as it is now.

Supermarkets lose 2 to 3 per cent of their revenues from sales due to the increasing cases of theft. Credit: Getty Images.​

She claims that despite installing 30 surveillance cameras at the Newnham store to discourage thieves, nothing seems to be working.

She also described a recent incident at her Newnham store, claiming that a 'young child' (about 16 years old) attempted to take $153 worth of meat concealed in a sports bag.

When the staff member demanded that the thief put it back, they allegedly attacked the employee.

Ms Bolan remarked: 'They're quite obvious about it. They'll just bring a big bag and just fill it and think that you can't do anything to stop them.'

'When you do try, they fight back. They're very very violent so, to me, it's about keeping the staff safe.'

Fortunately, no injuries were reported but Ms Bolan said that this was not the first time this has happened.

Sandra Bolan shared how she got attacked by a shoplifter at the IGA store she was managing. Credit: ABC/Damian McInytre.​

Tasmania Police Inspector Nathan Johnston acknowledged the hardships that many Australians are facing in these trying times, attributing the rise in theft rates to the increasing cost of living and homelessness.

He said: 'For people within that community, it is harder for them to live and survive and, unfortunately, committing crimes to survive is part of their way.'

Meanwhile, Richard Whitten, a Money Expert at Finder, said that people should not be too “fast to judge” those who resort to stealing food, arguing that some Australians are forced to do so out of desperation.

He commented: 'A lot of people are doing it tough as the cost of essentials like petrol, rent and energy have risen sharply.'

'The result is a growing subset of Australians who are stealing consumables to survive.'

Shoplifting may appear to be a ‘victimless crime’ to some, but it has a huge monetary impact on retailers.

According to the Australian Institute of Criminology, retailers lose roughly 2 to 3 per cent of their sales a year to theft. While many shoppers are tempted to give in to the temptation of stealing, it’s important to keep in mind that these actions take a significant toll on small business owners.

Also, please make sure you share this with your friends and family to remind them that shoplifting is a serious crime.

Do you think the government should do something about inflation to protect small businesses from these losses? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Firstly, what a ridiculous quote from a so called expert...."people should not be too “fast to judge” those who resort to stealing food, arguing that some Australians are forced to do so out of desperation."

So according to him it's ok just to walk out of a shop with a lot of goods you haven't paid for because you can't afford them? It's theft and they should be attested and charged for it. It cost the businesses and their honest customers a lot of money in the end. There'd be a free for all if that was allowed to happen all the time.

However, for some reason there doesn't seem to be any security on the entrances/exits of most shops anyway, but if I saw someone actually stealing something I'd do something about it having had many years experience of being a football (soccer) steward in the UK.

 

[RTS]

When major supermarket chains post billions of dollars worth of profit each year they get a pat on the back. This excessive amount of profit equals legalised stealing.

 

[Ezzy]

These days, it seems like everything is getting more and more expensive. Rent, power bills, petrol... the list goes on.

For a lot of us on a fixed income, it can be tough to keep up with the rising cost of living – especially on the pension when there's no chance of a ‘salary’ increase to help things along.

Food prices have been steadily increasing for years now, and according to new reports, this has caused a dramatic rise in shoplifting at supermarkets across Australia.

According to an investigation by the ABC, supermarket shoplifting increased by almost 30 per cent in Tasmania in the past year.

Supermarket staff have taken the time to speak out about the rampant shoplifting crises currently plaguing supermarkets around the nation, explaining that thieves have been 'becoming more brazen' and 'violent' as a result of their desperation to acquire food.

Sandra Boland, Manager at one IGA store in Tasmania, revealed to the ABC that she has never seen the rate of shoplifting as high as it is now.

Supermarkets lose 2 to 3 per cent of their revenues from sales due to the increasing cases of theft. Credit: Getty Images.​

She claims that despite installing 30 surveillance cameras at the Newnham store to discourage thieves, nothing seems to be working.

She also described a recent incident at her Newnham store, claiming that a 'young child' (about 16 years old) attempted to take $153 worth of meat concealed in a sports bag.

When the staff member demanded that the thief put it back, they allegedly attacked the employee.

Ms Bolan remarked: 'They're quite obvious about it. They'll just bring a big bag and just fill it and think that you can't do anything to stop them.'

'When you do try, they fight back. They're very very violent so, to me, it's about keeping the staff safe.'

Fortunately, no injuries were reported but Ms Bolan said that this was not the first time this has happened.

Sandra Bolan shared how she got attacked by a shoplifter at the IGA store she was managing. Credit: ABC/Damian McInytre.​

Tasmania Police Inspector Nathan Johnston acknowledged the hardships that many Australians are facing in these trying times, attributing the rise in theft rates to the increasing cost of living and homelessness.

He said: 'For people within that community, it is harder for them to live and survive and, unfortunately, committing crimes to survive is part of their way.'

Meanwhile, Richard Whitten, a Money Expert at Finder, said that people should not be too “fast to judge” those who resort to stealing food, arguing that some Australians are forced to do so out of desperation.

He commented: 'A lot of people are doing it tough as the cost of essentials like petrol, rent and energy have risen sharply.'

'The result is a growing subset of Australians who are stealing consumables to survive.'

Shoplifting may appear to be a ‘victimless crime’ to some, but it has a huge monetary impact on retailers.

According to the Australian Institute of Criminology, retailers lose roughly 2 to 3 per cent of their sales a year to theft. While many shoppers are tempted to give in to the temptation of stealing, it’s important to keep in mind that these actions take a significant toll on small business owners.

Also, please make sure you share this with your friends and family to remind them that shoplifting is a serious crime.

Do you think the government should do something about inflation to protect small businesses from these losses? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Richard Whitten, the Money Expert stated that people are stealing food due to a sharp rise in petrol, rent etc. How do these people get to & from these shops? If food is a problem, leave the car at home, save on petrol & walk or use a bike!