According the National Association for shoplifting prevention approximately 25 percent of shoplifters are kids, 75 percent are adults. 55 percent of adult shoplifters say they started shoplifting in their teens.
Although shoplifting is a crime, the people who steal are adults from any social and economic background and the reasons they give for shoplifting are vague, and the shoplifting act is often not premeditated. To read more about this topic please follow the links below.
Sarah and Lisa always enjoyed hanging out at the mall. But one Saturday, after shopping for jeans, Sarah pulled a new shirt out of her bag. Lisa didn’t remember seeing her buy it.
“I didn’t,” Sarah told her. “I lifted it.”
Lisa was upset and puzzled. Stealing didn’t seem like something Sarah would do.
Who Shoplifts?
There’s no typical shoplifter — people who steal from stores can be any age, race, gender, and social and economic background. Shoplifters generally fall into two categories:
- Professional shoplifters. These people usually take expensive items, like clothing and jewelry, that they can resell easily.
- Amateur or casual shoplifters. Most shoplifters are in this group. Casual shoplifters don’t usually go into a store with the intention of stealing — they simply see the opportunity to take something and do.
Many people assume that shoplifters have a mental disorder or that they must really need the items they are stealing in order to survive. But the truth is that’s not why most people steal. Very few people have kleptomania (a compulsive urge to steal), and many people who steal have enough money to pay for the items.
In simple and concise terms… “TO GET SOMETHING FOR NOTHING.”
While we all like to get things for free and the stores are constantly promoting and placing merchandise on “SALE” to generate excitement about getting a bargain, most people don’t cross over the line and steal the item. But some people do. Why?
The answer is… to most non-professional shoplifters, “getting something for nothing” is like giving themselves a “gift” or “reward,” which in turn gives them a “lift.” Many people feel they need a “lift” just to get through the week or even the day. A study by MasterCard International found that shopping was second only to dining as the primary way people reward themselves. Take it one step further and you can see how “shoplifting” the merchandise increases the reward.
Shoplifting incidents triple at UBS
Thefts have tripled this year at the University Bookstore on Grand Valley State University’s Allendale Campus. So far, there have been 30 reported incidents of shoplifting since August.
Last year, GVSU reported 10 incidents of shoplifting at the Allendale UBS. This year, there were 22 reported cases during the fall 2013 semester and eight incidents since the beginning of the winter 2014 semester. Stolen items range from apparel to small electronics.
Though the number of incidents has increased drastically since last year, there may not be a significant change in the amount of people stealing, but rather the amount of people getting caught in the act, said UBS manager Jerrod Nickels.
The UBS has been relying more on a surveillance system in the store, which is often used to catch suspects.
“Our primary goal in addressing theft is deterrence rather than apprehension,” Nickels said. “We try to focus on the dual goals of providing good customer service and preventing shoplifting. However, no matter how much prevention we try to ensure, shoplifting incidents do occur.”
The staff is also on the lookout for suspicious behavior, Nickels said. Staff members have undergone training to detect and verify occurrences of shoplifting.
“Each incident is different, so a lot of our training comes with experience and we tend to learn from each new incident,” he said.
