Shoplifting has become 'far more sophisticated' with 'high-value items' being targeted, Cork businessman says

The owner of several SuperValu stores in Cork has said shoplifting “has gotten far more sophisticated”.

Liam Ryan told The Echo that he has had to hire security, at a huge cost.

He said that while credit card fraud by click and collect was common, shoplifters are “in and out in three or four minutes and they know exactly what they want: It’s specific, high-value items”.

Describing them as “serious criminals, who could rob up to a thousand euros at a time”, he said that expensive spirits are among the most common items taken and that he has “no doubt” they are stealing to sell them on.

Retailers have warned that over the last two years, “the levels of crime, violence, and anti-social behaviour towards staff are at an all-time high”.

A representative of the Cork-based Musgrave Group, of which Supervalu is a subsidiary, spoke to the Dáil’s joint committee on enterprise, trade and employment yesterday, alongside the Retail Grocery Dairy and Allied Traders Association, and representatives from Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association.

Musgrave Group head of communications Julie Dorel said: “Retailers are experiencing three types of crime — organised gang, opportunistic criminals, and an alarming rise in underage youths who get a kick out of intimidating staff and who are totally lacking in fear given there are little or no repercussions for their actions.

“Shoplifting sounds like an innocuous word, what harm can it do, but it is not a victimless crime. Retail is a low-margin business, and stock walking out the door daily has a serious impact on a retailer’s profit for the week. Nobody should come to work and feel threatened and unsafe while doing an honest day’s work — for the individuals themselves, this is terrifying.”

Tara Buckley, director general of the RGDATA, which represents over 3,500 independent family-owned grocery and convenience stores, said retail theft costs its members at least €40k per store in loss of goods, repair of fixtures and fittings, and security costs.

“Our members and their staff have been hit, kicked, beaten, spat at, stabbed with knives or syringes, and shot at in the course of their work,” she said.

Both organisations called for the Government to step up its efforts to tackle this issue so that they can keep their staff and customers safe, with Musgrave calling for “the recruitment of more gardaí for frontline policing duties”.

“There is a need for a responsive, resourced, and dedicated operation by gardaí to tackle assaults on retail workers and theft from shops specifically,” said Ms Dorel.

A Garda spokesperson said Operation Táirge has begun, supporting investigations into organised retail crime.

“The allocation of Garda resources is managed to ensure effective policing and public safety, and is kept under constant review by local and senior Garda management”, Gardaí said, adding that recruitment is “ongoing and accelerating”.