Shoplifting seems to be up as grocery prices rise in Montreal: expert
Montreal grocers are reporting higher rates of theft at their stores as costs associated with livestock, transportation, and labour rise around the world.
“I've seen it all. I've seen it all,” says Shalina Davis, a clerk at Le Marché Esposito – a grocery store in Monkland Village.
She says someone recently bagged fifty bucks of groceries at once and headed out the door.
Davis told CTV he made his getaway in a taxi waiting outside.
“The (taxi’s) door was open and everything. He just sprints into the taxicab and takes off.”
Employees are familiar with the most common routes to a five-finger discount.
Fruit Manager Joe Isernia remembers one woman who “filled a whole carriage with vegetables, fruits, grocery items,” and put a case of beer at the bottom.
“And this is at 10 o’clock in the morning, ripping off a case of beer – I couldn’t believe it,” said Cashier Cathy Cowan.
While Montreal grocers report higher rates of thefts, shop owners across the country are also seeing a rise, according to experts.
“Every part of Canada is seeing the same thing,” said Sylvain Charlebois, professor in food distribution and policy at Dalhousie University.
“There seems to be an increasing number of infractions, theft is a growing problem in the face of higher prices.”
The meat section is a common target. Charlebois says it's being driven by the cost of groceries across the board, something any cashier can tell you firsthand.
“Three things of romaine lettuce in a bag? Seven bucks. And the highest we've ever charged is $3.99,” said Cowan.
But Charlebois says a lot of people aren't boosting steak from the supermarket to eat, they're looking to resell it, likely to a restaurant.
“If you're stealing meat from a grocer, your aim is food service,” he said.
Charlebois says that most large grocers can handle shoplifting losses, but it’s not so easy for smaller shops.
“The average grocery store would probably see three to four thousand dollars retail stolen a week,” he said.
“With a lower (profit) margin, you can't just pretend it doesn't exist, so a lot of managers will take matters into their own hands because police won't consider these cases to be significant.”
Montreal police don’t keep statistics related to grocery store theft. Some shops have hired undercover security guards to keep watch – a practice Charlebois predicts won’t be slowing down any time soon.
“We believe it's only going to get worse six months to a year from now because of food prices,” he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Prince William and wife Kate thank public for birthday messages for son Louis
Prince William and his wife Kate thanked the public for their messages which had been sent to mark the sixth birthday of their youngest son Louis on Tuesday.
She was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father. Then life dealt her a blow
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
'Catch-and-kill' strategy to be a focus as testimony resumes in Trump hush money case
A veteran tabloid publisher was expected to return to the witness stand Tuesday in Donald Trump's historic hush money trial.
Quebec farmers have been protesting since December. Is anyone listening?
Upset about high interest rates, growing paperwork and heavy regulatory burdens, protesting farmers have become a familiar sight across Quebec since December.
South Korean sentenced to 14 months in jail for killing 76 cats
South Korean man has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for killing 76 cats in one of the country's most gruesome cases of animal cruelty in recent years.