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
A 'tragedy that can't be measured': North Bay's forever chemical problem is also the rest of Canada's
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Questlove was not happy with Drake and Kendrick Lamar's beef: 'Nobody won the war'
While some may have been excited and/or amused by the diss-track feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, the man many consider to be an elder statesman of hip-hop appears less than enthused about it.
Trump heading to Jersey Shore to rally 'mega crowd' in weekend break from hush money trial
After a long week in court, Donald Trump is heading to the Jersey Shore. And his campaign says he'll be joined by "tens of thousands" of his friends.
For moms-to-be, it's possible to take maternity leave without breaking the bank
Pregnancy is often an exciting and anxious time for parents-to-be. And while painting the nursery and choosing a stroller are typically on the agenda, experts say preparing financially for a maternity leave can help reduce stress later on as well.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
Fine dining, at a new high. A Michelin-starred chef will take his cuisine to our upper atmosphere
Six guests are set to ascend aboard Spaceship Neptune to the stratosphere, where they will enjoy an immersive dining experience served up by Danish Michelin-starred chef Rasmus Munk.