Shopper calls out Coles staff for doing nothing to stop alarming act in store: ‘Why wouldn’t they?!’
- Replies 37
Shopping trips are usually mundane affairs, but for one shopper at Coles Bondi Junction, it turned into a scene straight out of a frustrating drama.
Grace from Bronte, a local shopper, witnessed a distressing incident involving two young boys who seemed to have taken the supermarket aisles for a playground of mischief and theft.
In a letter sent to The Beast magazine, Grace detailed her experience, which left her not only shocked but also questioning the effectiveness of our retail security measures.
She described the boys, aged between 13 and 15, as they wreaked havoc in the store.
They were displaying what I’d call inappropriate behaviour, deliberately knocking products off shelves onto the floor, carrying products under their hoodies, etc,’ she said.
What's more alarming is that Grace alerted a Coles employee about the situation.
'The two boys kept walking. I said to one of the employees, "You'll want to stop them, I guarantee they've stolen something",’ she said.
Grace claimed the female Coles employee responded: ‘We can't. We are not allowed to stop them or ask them to pay for what they have; they’re minors.’
The employee also said to Grace that she was frightened of the boys.
Grace questioned why the security guards didn't prevent them from leaving the store, but the employee explained that they couldn’t do anything.
‘So we all stood and watched while these two mini [criminals] walked out, without a backward glance,’ Grace wrote.
The employee also told her the two boys were familiar to the staff and regularly visited the store as part of a larger gang.
'And why wouldn't they? Free stuff, every time. Untouchable!’ Grace exasperated.
'If I (were) a minor, I'd do it. I'd go to Coles every day and steal stuff, just to prove the point, to illustrate the utter ineffectuality, powerlessness and futility of our figures of authority.'
'I'd steal the huge bags of dog food, ironing boards, brooms and mops, stuff so big it cannot be ignored, and, just maybe, they'd have to address it.'
'There's nothing to gain from this rant,’ she concluded.
'I guess I'd just like some answers from those who decided it's a good idea to encourage our young thugs to grow up to be adult thugs due to a lack of consequences and accountability.'
Coles has responded to the incident by reiterating their commitment to the safety of their team members and customers.
‘The safety of our team members and customers is our top priority, and we never want our team to put themselves at risk of violence,’ a Coles spokesperson said.
'We have a range of security and safety measures in place to reduce theft from our stores, including smart security gates, electronic article surveillance (EAS), personal duress devices, security personnel and surveillance technologies such as CCTV, we also work closely with police to report these matters.'
Have you encountered similar situations in your local supermarkets? How do you think retailers should handle such incidents, especially when minors are involved? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
Grace from Bronte, a local shopper, witnessed a distressing incident involving two young boys who seemed to have taken the supermarket aisles for a playground of mischief and theft.
In a letter sent to The Beast magazine, Grace detailed her experience, which left her not only shocked but also questioning the effectiveness of our retail security measures.
She described the boys, aged between 13 and 15, as they wreaked havoc in the store.
They were displaying what I’d call inappropriate behaviour, deliberately knocking products off shelves onto the floor, carrying products under their hoodies, etc,’ she said.
A female shopper called out Coles for not doing anything to prevent the two boys from creating chaos inside the store. Credit: Shutterstock
What's more alarming is that Grace alerted a Coles employee about the situation.
'The two boys kept walking. I said to one of the employees, "You'll want to stop them, I guarantee they've stolen something",’ she said.
Grace claimed the female Coles employee responded: ‘We can't. We are not allowed to stop them or ask them to pay for what they have; they’re minors.’
The employee also said to Grace that she was frightened of the boys.
Grace questioned why the security guards didn't prevent them from leaving the store, but the employee explained that they couldn’t do anything.
‘So we all stood and watched while these two mini [criminals] walked out, without a backward glance,’ Grace wrote.
The employee also told her the two boys were familiar to the staff and regularly visited the store as part of a larger gang.
'And why wouldn't they? Free stuff, every time. Untouchable!’ Grace exasperated.
'If I (were) a minor, I'd do it. I'd go to Coles every day and steal stuff, just to prove the point, to illustrate the utter ineffectuality, powerlessness and futility of our figures of authority.'
'I'd steal the huge bags of dog food, ironing boards, brooms and mops, stuff so big it cannot be ignored, and, just maybe, they'd have to address it.'
'There's nothing to gain from this rant,’ she concluded.
'I guess I'd just like some answers from those who decided it's a good idea to encourage our young thugs to grow up to be adult thugs due to a lack of consequences and accountability.'
Coles has responded to the incident by reiterating their commitment to the safety of their team members and customers.
‘The safety of our team members and customers is our top priority, and we never want our team to put themselves at risk of violence,’ a Coles spokesperson said.
'We have a range of security and safety measures in place to reduce theft from our stores, including smart security gates, electronic article surveillance (EAS), personal duress devices, security personnel and surveillance technologies such as CCTV, we also work closely with police to report these matters.'
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