A new problem faces the shops in the UK: some are buying stolen goods from professional thieves stealing to feed their addiction issues. These are simply working with a gang to steal particular items to resell locally and online. Here’s what is happening:

A Growing Issue

Hundreds of thousands of thefts are reported to be taking place in retail stores across the UK. The Association of Convenience Stores says shoplifters are growing in confidence and stealing items such as meat, cheese, and alcohol. Many of the items stolen turn up for sale on Facebook or WhatsApp, or on local markets.

James Lowman, chief executive of the ACS, describes it as a major concern. “Even smaller shops are buying in these stolen goods, often because they can’t always tell whether something is stolen,” he says. Lowman explains, “Thieves are stealing to order. They’re often professionals who steal to feed their addiction problems. They then sell these goods, and there’s a market for these resold products.”

How It Works

Andrew Goodacre, head of the British Independent Retailers Association, or Bira, said that criminal gangs were professionalising their approach to organising shoplifters – and increasingly finding ways of selling on what they stole. In the last year, Mr Goodacre has heard more shops admit to buying stolen items.

Martin Gaunt owns a gift shop in Truro, Cornwall. He told the story of following a thief who stole from his shop. He watched as the stolen merchandise was sold to another trader. Goodacre says it is no longer just meat and cheese that are being swiped. “Everything from pet food and cleaning supplies, right through to clothing and kitchen gadgets is now fair game,” he says. “People will steal anything and everything since it is easy to unload a cheap kettle or other items in a hurry on Facebook Marketplace.”

The Numbers Behind Theft

The ACS reports 5.6 million theft incidents reported in the last year. Half of these were done by repeat offenders. In fighting this, convenience stores spent £339 million on crime prevention measures such as CCTV and alarms.

A career shoplifter by the name of Ross, who has stolen goods worth tens of thousands of pounds, exposed precisely how he operates. Ross, 34, of with 15 shoplifting convictions but never spent time in prison, would steal goods every day to sell and enable his addiction to crack cocaine and heroin. He even would steal to order for a middleman who would then sell the goods. Ross revealed he often stole perfume, cosmetics, alcohol, and food.

Business Owners Affected

ACS chief executive James Lowman said that was distressing for business owners to be “thinks thieves are making money from goods stolen from them.” A BRC spokesperson said that stolen items often end up in “unscrupulous” restaurants, market stalls, and online marketplaces.

The same BRC also reported a surge in the proportion of gang-related retail crime, with some gangs hitting up to several stores in just a single day. “It’s tough for retailers. They report these crimes, but the police response is often too slow. These gangs know they can get away with it.”
The Larger Context

Stephanie Karte of Retailers Against Crime says local offenders are often addicts. They are stealing to feed their habits, and the cash they make goes directly to their drug dealers. “In the end,” she says, “all these little thefts are funding more serious crimes.”

What Can Be Done?

In fighting this, it is required that stores be more observant and tighten their security. The police also have to take the crimes more seriously in order to make sure thieves, just like buyers, are apprehended and punished accordingly.

Retailers and the public can also help by reporting suspicious activity and being aware of where the goods they buy originate. If we can make it more difficult for thieves to sell their goods and make a profit, hopefully the amount of stolen goods available will decrease.

In other words, the UK has an extremely serious problem with buying from professional thieves. With thieves targeting shops as an ongoing practice and selling goods, it is important that business and communities remain alert to try to prevent such crimes from continuing.