Grocery store thefts on the rise as managers look for ways to slow down five-finger discounts

Every day, Esposito Market manager Normand Shannon goes over the "Most Wanted" list with his staff, including screen grabs of shoplifters taken from the store's surveillance cameras.

"You've got the person who steals because he's in misery and has no money," said Shannon. "You've got the person who has no money and comes here and steals food, and you got the third type of person who comes in here and steals a lot."

Thefts in grocery stores are on the rise, and stores are searching for new ways to stop them.

Big-ticket items like wine, cheese and beef are the most popular items to lift.

"A lot of people just sneak or rush out," said cashier Mary Barrett. "Once, I said, like, 'Hey!' and tried to stop him, and he just pushed past me."

Confronting thieves can be dangerous and is not recommended, so some grocery chains have taken action by installing more security measures in self-checkout lines or adding anti-theft stickers on meat.

"You see barriers on the exits and anti-theft devices on products," said Dalhousie University professor Sylvain Charlebois. "I think we need to have a broader conversation about what's actually happening right now."

Charlebois said that grocery store chains and the Retail Council of Canada should release data on the number of thefts occurring so consumers understand why they are seeing these kinds of measures.

While Shannon understands that consumers are struggling with inflation, he is going to continue to keep an eye out and hopes that, eventually, prices and thefts will go down.  

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