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.
Have a news tip? We'd like to hear your story. Please send an email to MontrealDigitalNews@BellMedia.ca
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Slovakia's populist prime minister shot in assassination attempt, shocking Europe before elections
The Slovak defence minister says doctors are fighting for the life of the country's prime minister, who was shot multiple times after a political event Wednesday afternoon.
Transport Canada's UFO 'lead' planned to meet with U.S. intel officials, called info requests a 'wild goose chase'
Canada's transportation department had a UFO 'lead' who tried to 'quell' media interest and planned to meet with U.S. intelligence officials.
'Very expensive lunch': Sask. driver handed a cell phone ticket for using points app in McDonald's drive-thru
A warning from a Saskatoon driver about using your fast-food app while in the drive-thru line — a trip to get some free lunch cost him a lot more than he bargained for.
'The Fly' has become notorious in France after a brazen escape. What's his criminal history?
A prisoner nicknamed “The Fly” has become notorious in France overnight after a daring and bloody escape from a prison convoy in Normandy that left two guards dead.
BREAKING Ontario's 'crypto king' Aiden Pleterski arrested
Aiden Pleterski, the self-proclaimed 'crypto king' from Whitby, Ont., has been arrested in Durham Region after allegedly running a Ponzi scheme worth more than $40 million.
BREAKING Barge hits a bridge in Texas, damaging the structure and causing an oil spill
A barge slammed into a bridge pillar in Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday, spilling oil into surrounding waters and closing the only road to a smaller and separate island that is home to a university, officials said. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Person responsible for 1996 drugging of 'Titanic' crew likely not a local: Halifax police
Halifax Regional Police believe a non-resident could be responsible for the infamous drugging of numerous crew members of the 'Titanic' movie with a hallucinogenic in 1996.
Latest updates on the biggest wildfires burning in Canada
Thousands of people in Western Canada remain displaced from their homes as wildfires threaten their communities, triggering evacuation orders and alerts.
OPINION If you think you can’t focus for long, you’re right: Sandee LaMotte
Regaining your focus requires you to be mindful of how you are using technology -- a daunting task if you consider the average American spends at least 10 hours a day on screens.