Why Do People Shoplift? Know the Reasons & How to Prevent it!

May 23, 2023    criminaldefencelawyersperthwa
Why Do People Shoplift? Know the Reasons & How to Prevent it!

Knowing how high the theft, burglary, and robbery cases would shock you. However, in such cases, you can identify the offender. A shoplifter would never make it for you to understand who they are. That is why you need the support of a criminal lawyer to deal with all these.

Because of your failure to identify the shoplifter, the act can get regularised at your shop. It is not ignorable. Rather it can turn up to be something big. The act is ubiquitous in Australia and endangers your store as well.

Now you must be wondering how to prevent it. There are several ways, and the blog is going to explain them all. But make sure you inform a lawyer to take legal steps when required. Start valuing your security from today.

What Is Shoplifting?

It is basically a fraud from any retail establishment where a person pretends like a customer and conceals a store item. They hide it inside their pockets or under their clothes and leave without paying. It can happen anytime a day. Mostly, the possibility is in the afternoon when the store remains empty.

Is Shoplifting Thefting?

Yes. Of course, shoplifting is a theft. The person is pretending to be a customer and stealing goods from your store. You can charge them with the offense of stealing. The lawyers would help you file a case against the misdeed.

Even if you fail to identify the culprit, you have to submit a list of missing items. The lawyers can investigate the other shoppers or people outside. They can also keep an eye on your shop to find the shoplifter. There could be many charges & things that an individual needs to face when they are caught stealing, know what happens when you steal in australia.

Why Do People Shoplift?

People may conduct such acts for various reasons. But the ultimate loss will be of yours. Be aware of the reasons to safeguard your shop from thieves. Also, the following reasons help you easily categorize and identify them.

Financial Hardship

People who are struggling with monetary issues may conduct such activities. It may be because they want to obtain some necessities or luxuries. Their inability to afford the items is the real cause behind it.
For instance, a person who is hungry and can not afford food can steal items that can favor him. On the other hand, someone who can not afford to purchase a branded bag can steal it from the shop.

Habit

Shoplifting can become someone’s habit. It would make the act one of their regular or most frequent activities. In such cases, many of the shopkeepers must know the person as they keep stealing from store to store. You can notice it mostly among kids and teenagers.

Addiction

People who are dealing with any addiction can shoplift to fulfill their needs. They often fail to control their impulses, leading to stealing goods. When they are out of stock, they can use your products to sell and earn money to achieve their goal.

Trauma

People experiencing deep trauma can be influenced to conduct such acts. Study shows abuse and neglect can be a reason for such traumas. Physiological issues can also be accounted for as the reason for the trauma that may engage the person in shoplifting.

For Fun

It is also a proven reason behind shoplifting. Thrill-seeking people often engage in shoplifting to experience the adventure. It can be kids as well as adults. Teenagers are also likely to perform such acts if they feel anything is overpriced at the store. Or they can cause it unknowingly that it is illegitimate.

Australia’s small shops, markets, and retail stores face nearly $9 billion of loss each year due to shoplifting, theft, and robbery. The problem is not ignorable and needs to be stopped immediately. If you ever have encountered any such incidents, you should immediately inform the theft crime lawyer. They can investigate the matter and find out the culprit. Later you can get the valuable stolen item returned, or the thief can compensate your loss with money.

How to Prevent Shoplifting?

Identifying the cases of shoplifting is not easy. You can not determine the shoplifter among multiple customers. But there are a few techniques that you can follow if you wish to catch them. The tactics are mentioned below.

Install Cameras

You can always install cameras to keep an eye on the products. It would help you notice every corner of your store and protect it from theft. Security cameras would also restrict people with wrong intentions from entering the shop. Also, you can check the footage in case you feel any item has gone missing from your store.

Be Aware of Expensive Items

Stealing expensive items can cause you immense loss. Thus, try to keep them off the hands of the customers. Consider arranging a security guard to keep special notice on such items. Keep a list of each item so that you can immediately identify when they are missing.

Publicize the Consequences of Shoplifting

You can hang a board portraying the consequences of shoplifting or other such activities. You may include the mention of fines or other punishments. Do not leave customers inside. It would make the work difficult for the shoplifters.

Train Your Staff

If shoplifting is common in your area, ask your staff to look after the customers. Train them on how they can notice such acts. You can ask them to engage with customers in a friendly manner. Also, your staff can wait outside of dressing rooms to avoid giving a chance to the shoplifters. It would provide assistance to genuine customers as well.

Do Not Allow Addicts

Stop allowing just anyone inside the store. If you feel the customer is an addict, try to restrict them. It can harm the safety of you and other customers. Your security can also get damaged by their activities.

Contact a Lawyer

The easiest way to prevent theft is to inform a lawyer about the issue. They can find out the culprit by conducting a few straightforward interpretations. If any item is missing from your shop, they can get you compensation for the item as well.

You can follow these ideas to prevent shoplifting to a certain extent. You can either call it shrinkage or shoplifting. But you can not ignore that these are straight-up stealing. Thus you are advised not to promote such acts and raise your voice against them.

Conclusion

In conclusion, theft, robbery, and shoplifting can become dangerous. Please do not wait till it turns into venerability. Take a step today and inform the robbery defence lawyer. They can safeguard your store from such evil misconduct.

You must know softlifting is more than just a mistake. It is a crime, even if it is a small packet of chips. Ignoring them can result in more frequent lifts from your shop. It could reach the unmanageable stage if not treated beforehand. Therefore, you are highly recommended to take the mentioned steps to prevent it.

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