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Ooh, it's a steal!

Shoppers are of two kinds. Some pay for what they buy and others manage without parting with cash. NANDHINI SUNDARexamines a very urban phenomenon

REED AND THRILL Young boys, teenagers and women with ample disposable incomes are some of the prime candidates for shoplifting.

It shouldn't come as a surprise when we say that not all shoppers enter a shop just to shop. Shop, explains the dictionary, entails parting with your currency to complete the act.

When Hollywood actor Winona Ryder was caught in a five-finger shopping spree, what shocked the world was not the act, but the person behind the act itself. For, the world certainly had not expected that from an intelligent and wealthy young woman.

What often goes unnoticed is the type of clientele that indulges in such misadventures. It is not unusual for misconceptions to prevail: we usually associate shoplifting with individuals parked on the wrong side of the law. Unfortunately, reality bites.

Young well-heeled boys, teenagers and women with ample disposable incomes are some of those who shoplift without a qualm. And what they pick could be anything from the spectacular to the mundane. Surprisingly, most resort to it not out of need, but out of plain greed or just for a sense of thrill. Some are due to the compulsive psychological disorder kleptomania.

Treatable condition

Says Ali Khwaja, counsellor: "Shoplifters fall into different categories. Some are habitual offenders, constantly looking for opportunities. Most from a compulsive psychological disorder. This condition can be treated, though not many are open to treatment and are in a state of denial. Yet there are others who do it once in a while and regret later."

According to him, casual, one-off offenders use this act to either to attraction attention or as a rebellion against the system or simply for kicks. "Invariably it happens that a youngster indulging in such acts is actually seeking attention or trying to assert in a group by portraying himself as cool." This section of offenders, he says, is mostly school and college students.

He attributes various other factors also, such as lack of parental attention, sibling rivalry or not getting something they desire acutely.

Cameras are saviours

No doubt shoplifting is a problem for businesses. Says Nasir, Store Manager, Landmark: "Shoplifters are getting smarter. They try to evade detection by removing the electronic tags. But with cameras monitoring, we manage to track them. Still, some succeed." A sizeable number of offenders, according to him, are students and women.

When stores stock products that do not carry tags, the possibilities for shoplifting quadruple. This is especially so when the items are small.

Says Prakash Vithlani of Archies: "This is indeed becoming a major problem. To counter this, we have constant monitoring through cameras." His outlet also resorts to locking up expensive items to prevent theft. "But this deters genuine buyers from exercising their choice freely, as people like to touch and feel the product before deciding to buy."

To an extent, having extra staff helps, he adds, though it increases overheads. According to him also, the ones to monitor are students and smartly dressed women. "We keep a close watch on both."

Concurs Jiger Patel, store manager, Nik Nish: "Most of the shoplifting is done by college students and women from wealthy backgrounds. Professional involvement is less." Shops are most vulnerable during crowded weekends and much of the shoplifting takes place during this time, he adds. Cameras monitor "but they are ineffective in a large crowd." He reckons that on an average, five to six per cent of the sales is stolen.

Says Renita, store manager of a leading supermarket: "College students and women are the main offenders. Some come only with this objective. They pretend to buy, even ask the staff about the product, place it in the basket and later while moving around, slip it into their pockets. Helmets, blouses, saris, pant pockets are the main hiding places. The items picked are invariably small but expensive like imported chocolates, spices, dry fruits, razors and the like."

Consequences

Why are shoplifters so brazen? Because when caught in the act, the consequences are not so severe. Typically, the staff take them aside and either make them purchase the item or send them off with a warning after recovering the stolen item.

"When caught, they are either repentant or feign ignorance. Some turn aggressive and sometimes raise their voice, accusing us of error in judgment. Most are let off with a warning though habitual offenders are handed over to the mall security," adds Patel.

Adds Renita: "When caught, their reaction is to deny. In one case, a well-to-do lady, caught with dry fruits and spices in her blouse and folds of her sari, claimed to have placed it there for lack of a basket!"

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