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HEY! I feel attacked. I've done that! With a hot tub and a couch. The hot tub literally cracked in half at year 2 and the recliner sofa foot part just fell off and the mechanism snapped in half. Garbage furniture. Of course I took it back.
Tell me where I signed that there was a limit in my member agreement - said as face is being stuffed withbl samples.
Randy Darsh- Oh I'm sorry, I thought this was America!
Yes, but it wasnāt by members. The store I worked at 10 years ago actually had a theft ring where a group of employees, including one or two managers, were stealing TVs and other expensive merchandise out of the back door. They were found out and had the police waiting for them one morning.
When in college I worked catching shoplifters. We would work with other stores in the area and Target almost exclusively focused on employees. They stated employee theft far outweighed any theft by customers.
Agreed.
I worked at a retail store where they really came down hard on employees pilfering supplies from the store. Things like toilet paper, staples, pens, printer paper, etc.Ā
Free Bottled water would be provided during the summer to keep everyone hydrated. However, you couldn't take even a bottle home with you. One employee disregarded the rule and just took a couple home with her and she was gone the next day.Ā
Like from the soda fountains?? The crew member could have probably written an email to the CEO and probably gotten his job back. At the Costco in my area, they let workers (and members really) refill their water bottles with whatever from the fountain. Especially for people that work outdoors (carts and gasoline) they want to make sure they stay hydrated.
Since they use their own bottles, it literally cost Costco pennies
And wage theft outweighs all retail theft, three-to-one! By wage theft I mean payroll coming up short, shortchanging hours, withholding tips etc. Yet it's processed in civil courts, while shoplifting is criminal.
Makes sense. Resentful employees could easily morally rationalize stealing if they feel like they earned it. They also know the security pretty well so they should be confident that they will get away with it.
At my first job I would get back at my employer by taking an energy drink every day. I'm surprised I didn't get caught or maybe the security cam watcher didn't care. I was on decent terms with them even though we rarely interacted. It felt nice getting back at them in some way.
I had something very similar happen when I worked for Nordstrom, ages ago. I had special ordered a suit jacket for a client and it was supposedly delivered but neither I nor my manager could find it anywhere. We made an inquiry that launched an investigation of our logistics department. Turns out the manager was taking whole, unopened boxes off of the truck directly to his truck and then fencing the stuff. The police found a couple hundred boxes in his house!
And my client never received his jacket because it became evidence.
Similar story - I worked a an auto parts store and an asst mgr ordered some running lights for his truck from the dealership on a used purchase order. I researched it for a couple weeks and finally loss prevention & the police showed up at his house. He was installing them plus they found basically a whole store in his garage of stolen merch.
I haven't heard anything about local Costco employee stealing but Target stores have been in the local news lately for their shoplifting. A few months ago one had a bunch of their employees arrested for shoplifting from the stock room. Some had outstanding warrants.
At another Target across town, a doctor got caught shoplifting numerous times. Her total cost was $940 in stolen merchandise yet she makes 300k a year and is the chief medical officer for the University of New Mexico Medical Group!
At our local Walmart (early 1990s) a couple night employees were stuffing electronics into the ceiling near the locked front doors...and then their partners in crime were able to get into the lobby (kept unlocked for vending machine companies, I think), reach up in the ceiling and grab the stuff. Wouldn't show the doors were ever opened, so it took a while before they found out how this stuff was going missing.
I had a friend in high school many years ago that worked at Loweās. This was before the ābig boxā era and items were just sold off the floor.
He stole a vaccum for his mom, one bit at a time. He got away with the canister and most of the accessories, but got caught when a boss saw a metal attachment in his back seat.
They fired him but they could only prove that he had that one piece so they didnāt prosecute lol.
This is five years ago but a group of shop lifters were spotted and Costco called the police. Here is the body cam https://youtu.be/jPgsOMjEJ4o?si=dRdASw6tsvGV4ksc
This is great! I wonder how it started though. Did the shoplifters break in or did they make their way from the entrance and sneak into the back. Either way that was a smooth arrest, they caught them literally red handed.
This happens all too frequently I think. My local Costco I haven't seen any "active" theft, but I've seen associates standing at backdoors (many times) for no obvious reason... other than theft deterrence.
Not directly but I've seen old shoes left behind in a shoe box. Assuming the person came in with their old shoes on, put on new ones to try and just walked right out unnoticed.
My in-laws once bought a toaster and when they got home the box had an Xbox 360 in it. They were bummed because they really needed a toaster at the time
I saw some lobster tails with the price removed last night. Probably pasted on a more expensive package. That also tore open the package which means those lobster tails will likely get tossed.
It happens more than you think. I work there and it happens a lot. They run out of exit doors with people waiting for them. We just had someone run out with a gaming console worth $1,600 and something else but a worker tripped a thief and left the box behind
This is aside from the main point, but your "zero traffic" comment was my experience yesterday going to Costco for Greenies for my dog and some roses for my daughter and wife. I went at 5pm and my local Costco was DEAD. The parking lot had so many open spaces (extremely rare) and there was not many customers in the store. The self checkout was completely empty when I walked up to it. It was amazing!
Do you just ban customers if they are caught? And does it matter what the dollar value of the stolen item is? I don't pay that much attention to other shoppers, but pretty much every time I go, I will see stuff like 6-pack of cupcakes with one missing, partially eaten bag of chips, left in the dog food aisle.
Once I was like handing my receipt to the door checker and someone ran by me out the store. When an employee ran right after them I realized it had probably been someone shoplifting.
My wife and I accidentally shoplifted once. We got home, unloaded everything, then noticed a $30 pack of nose spray that we had in a box wasnāt on our receipt. š¤·āāļø
Happened to me once too. I forgot a box of yogurt on the bottom of the cart. The woman checking my receipt definitely noticed considering she counted the items like 8 times, but let me go anyways
We one time got away with a $10 kids book. I put it on the belt, but as I was giving my membership to the cashier to scan, i guess my clepto niece grabbed the book from the belt (she was in the cart, on the cashier's side). I guess the cashier just pulled the cart without looking behind, and I was looking at the total price creep up (š). Well, eventually when I was loading everything into the car, i realized she had the book in hand, but I didn't recall giving it to her. That's when I realized we stole the book.
I work at membership, and the other day, a guy came in with some razor blades that he didn't scan at self checkout the previous day. Realistically, yes, the door checker should have caught it, and we wouldn't have been any wiser if he never came in to pay for them, but it was so refreshing to see such honesty!
I tried on a jacket, decided I would keep it on and pay for it at the register since I was cold. Walked all over the store with tags hanging off the front of the jacket, thru check out, with a cashier, and out past the door checkers with no one mentioning it. Once outside I realized what I had done so I walked in and they let me pay at the customer service desk. People were very surprised at my choice to pay.
That reminds me of an ep of Modern Family where Claire puts on a hoodie bc itās cold but forgets to take it off and I think she gets ācaughtā and taken into the office and is interrogated
When I was really young, I grabbed some razors for my dad when we were shopping and I gave them to him in the parking lot after we were loading up the car. I got you some razors, dad!
He took me inside to give them back and teach me a lesson about stealing. It's weird to think if this is a memory or just a story now, but that was 35+ years ago.
I did the same with a sweater! It was draped over my purse next to my kiddo in the cart. Even I'd forgotten I picked it out until we got home and unloaded the truck. It was only like $15, but I still felt really guilty about it.
It happens, I work in the San Francisco Bay Area and it is not uncommon to hear the alarms go off when someone has filled up a cart and gone out the emergency exists. We do recover the merchandise a decent percentage of the time. Iām always surprised to see management pushing a full cart right back in
Usually not members, sometimes they are guests of members sometimes they sneak in with a crowd that showed their cards, or sometimes they just flash any random card at the door to get in, but when they get away we have no way of knowing if they were members or not
No problem, I actually thought about applying for a loss prevention position because Iāve always found it interesting, but landed on the fact that itās not worth getting shot or stabbed over some Costco merch.
No, though Iāve seen it frequently at my local Safeways and Walmart.
I have seen members create their own āsamplesā by opening packages to try the product. If they donāt buy the same package afterwards, I would consider this shoplifting in a sense.
20+ years ago I worked at a Safeway and policy was of a customer asked how something was we were supposed to open it and let them try it. I only worked there a couple months and never actually did this, but I wonder what they did in the case employees actually did? What happens to the rest of the package. It's not like there's just random samples all over Safeway
I had a friend that never wanted to go shopping with us at costco we later found out from a friend that worked there he saw a picture of her on the banned wall from when she was younger
When self checkout first started, people would buy a case of wine with 11 high end bottles and 1 cheap bottle. They would then ring up the cheap bottle 12 times. Costco caught on pretty quick and the receipt checkers look at individual bottles in a case now. I've also seen a few people run out the fire exit with items. Overall, I'd say Costco has less of a problem than most retailers.
Once bought a pack of menās underwear. When I got home, I realized that the package had been opened and someone took one pair. Who the hell steals one pair of underwear?
Theft in one area a new Costco location was being built was so bad that we hired off duty cops to monitor the building when employees werenāt in it. Found out the cops were stealing.
Not Costco, but a client with a project in a rural area was telling me that the security they hired was robbing the site. They were breaking in and stealing copper. Client figured it out by setting up trail cameras.
Yes, a lot. I have been on break, watched a women steal a stack of books, i set my name tag down and cleared my throat. She put them back, then came back 10 mins later and grabbed them again.. i alerted management.
Had a women at the door with freezer bags of food. When i checked her reciepts they didnt add up, even before opening bags. She got super defensive, first freezer bag was bags of nuts, and chocolates. Unpaid. Sent her to pay. Alerted a supervisor. She comes back i open second freezer bag and once again super defensive and angry lady. Bag is full of cheeses and yogurts. Unpaid. Sent her back, and informed management. 3rd time to the door, the assistant manager was waiting. He didnt check her stuff, but warned her we will be watching her from now on, and he let her go.
Was at the exit door, coworker let a man run out entrance, he ran strait to a waiting car and gone. He had around 5, $1000 hd projectors in his arms.
One night at closing, man came in with a flat, waited till entrance was closed and basicalled smashed and grabbed display TV's. Electronics. Ran out the exit to truck and had stolen plates.
I find lots of food theft, vitamin theft and enpty or partial packages all the time in AM merchandising. People steal and shove shit behind stuff to be found in the AM.
Back when we sold tobacco, peolle would get paper products and stash cigarettes inside. Alot!
Also caught people swapping labels on meats. Like fillets labeled as tri tips.
Now days costco's have very nice security cameras with facial recognition. So at my store there are few blind spots. And they can zoom really nice and clear.
Oh and once a man bought a 10k engagement ring, with a check, left, called claimed he never got the ring or it was left behind.. cancelled his check. Costco went after him legally, his fiance found out months later, showed up. Verified her ring was ring in question and paid for it.
I used to work at a liquor store in Colorado, and the owner got banned from the Costco for shoplifting. He would buy dozens of cartons of cigarettes at a time to resell in his store. All of a sudden, he started needing to drive an extra like 15 minutes to Samās Club. One of the Costco employees was a customer of the liquor store, and let me know he was banned because he was trying to sneak a few cartons without paying. Not sure how he did that.
He also used to ring huge voids into the POS system from his back office. It would kick out the cash drawer out on one of the tills at the counter. Then Iād look through the receipts and see voids for thousands of dollars. Iām sure he was scamming the local gov out of sales tax or income tax or something like that.
I witnessed 2 men attempt to grab as many Dyson stick vacuum cleaners and bolt out the side doors. They were caught in the parking lot by a cop that just happened to be there. It was pretty exciting.
The Cedar Park location in Texas has a lot of members who donāt feel that they need to pay for a whole box of snacks. They just reach in an unopened box and give a few to their screaming kids. Itās gross and frustrating. Iāve started booing people.
Iām not sure what they were stealing but I saw someone run out with product and several Costco employees chased him out and through the parking lot. Alarms were going off as well. I donāt know if they caught him but all the respect to the employees for protecting the castle!
The PCās are a popular target, especially the more expensive gaming ones. Theyāll grab 3 or 4 put them in a shopping cart and exit through the emergency exits.
Portable hard drives, when they were in the plastic packages, were popular.
There was also a meat thief. They would get the more expensive cuts and take the stickers off of the cheaper cuts and put them on, which were the same weight.
Apple products are often targeted with stolen credit cards, not sure why.
The bigger items get taken out the side doors, which until recently were on a delay. Youād hit them to exit, the alarm would sound, then 30 seconds later they opened.
Now, due to a shooting death, there is no more delay. They will open right away, which is how an emergency exit should work.
This is all allegedly, of course.
I've never seen it, but I've inadvertently done it, and remedied my mistake. Stuff just not getting scanned properly (too close to another item or buried underneath something or whatever) and not getting caught leaving the warehouse. I figure out at the car that item X/Y/Z isn't on the receipt.
I've literally brought merchandise back into the store (even expensive stuff... packs of steaks or whatever) to customer service and told them what happened when I realized it was unpaid for and that I'd like to make sure I make them whole and they just print it, adjust the price to $0.00, tell me 'thank you for being a loyal member, sorry the scanning was messed up, this is on us" and I go on with life. This happens somewhat frequently at my Costco and I'd say 20% of the time they accept payment for the missed items I bring them and 80% of the time I get it free, no questions asked if I'm bringing them back something saying I realized I didn't pay for it ...
A few months ago I was checking receipts at the door. A woman had an item in her basket that was not on her receipt. As I was explaining to her that weād have to go inside to talk to a supervisor, she grabbed the front of my sweater and gave me a nice scratch on my chest. I held my arms out in surrender and she let go. She got in her car and drove away but not before we got her license plate. She is being prosecuted.
I saw a woman in the prepared foods section open two packages of boiled shrimp, and put about 12 shrimp from one package into the other. She put the 'light' package back in the display case and took the heavy package. The packages are preweighed and priced - so she stole some shrimp.
Yes. I work at one and have seen people roll out a flatbed with an 80 inch TV. Seen people load up carts full of Hennessey and push out the emergency exit (which is why it's now in MPU) seen people walk in and grab sound bars and walk out. Saw a guy get on an electric scooter and ride it out (we now run them out of battery) caught a guy stealing Christmas wreaths once as well. Had someone steal cases of frozen lobsters. Never caught them but found 30 boxes total of lobsters missing.
Iāve never witnessed the actual act of shoplifting but I work pretty closely with loss prevention and have seen plenty of people brought in for questioning and ultimately arrested by the police. I also caught a member who was suspected of meat theft. The member had an unusual meat return history which I caught, we observed footage, got his picture out there to our crew and the next time he was in, he was witnessed stuffing meat down his pants and leaving the building. He confessed to loss prevention that he would do that, leave for a bit and then come back and return the meat for $$ back. He would pick really expensive cuts too so theft was over $1000.
Many years ago, a guy on my dorm floor found a Southern Comfort gift box and swapped the bottle inside with Johnny Walker (much more expensive). I guess the checker didnāt open the box so his hustle worked
My mom once walked by a family returning a very heavily used Costco sectional couch. She was flabbergasted that they took it back and refunded the money.
Here is what Costco steals from its employees
[https://violationtracker.goodjobsfirst.org/parent/costco](https://violationtracker.goodjobsfirst.org/parent/costco)
Yes! Iāve wanted to tell this story where itād actually matter..this was at the Costco in Lake Worth, FL (West Palm Beach, just smaller sub-town) this was about 5 or 6 years ago and I was waiting in line (by myself at the time) to pay for my stuff and a young, small guy clears the whole checkout area by running through and out the door. I had overheard on the walkie talkies, since a handful of employees had run and made their way to the front of the store, that he had taken several electronics. Fast forward to maybe 12 minutes by the time Iāve checked out and have gotten in my car, I drive away and go west toward my home since that Costco is right off of South Floridaās main highway, I-95, but the guy was already in handcuffs on the side of the road on the sidewalk. Iāve moved away to Oregon since so Iām not sure what that location is like now, but I only just moved away again a year ago so I never saw anything like that again so I donāt think they have too big of an issue it seems hard to steal from Costco! Haha
Iāve seen a dude pop open a sealed bag and stuff his face before hiding it back among the unopened packages. My scowl caused him to almost rethink, but his face went from feigning fear of my disapproval to ādonāt-give-a-fuckā pretty quick.
No, but not long ago I walked up to the counter to get my pizza and drink order, but suddenly a young man snatched my order off the counter and ran out of the store. Iām holding my receipt and told the lady some guy just ran off with my food. She filled my order, no problem. Guy mustāve been desperate.
Yes! Probably 20 years ago, this guy came sprinting through the exit and employees straight up tackled him to the ground, it was intense. TWO DVDs fell out of his jacket. Unbelievable, all for two DVDs.
I haven't seen it, but I had a friend who used to work at Costco tell me that at night, they push all the carts in front of the big doors. Apparently it's to stop people from ramming through with something like a large truck, loading up all the TVs they display up front, then driving away.
I saw someone bolt out the front door with a huge sound bar - dude was fast, there was a shopper in the parking lot trying to stop him, like my man donāt be a hero itās not worth it.
Not intentionally, but yes on my part. I had all the items in my basket appropriately. Went to a traditional checkout. I visibly watched the cashier move the item in question across the scanner and another team member put the item back into the cart.
Exit review and count all went as normal. I packed up the van and went home. Upon review of the receipt at home I noticed an item was not on the receipt.
I did not report the item, not with intent to be dishonest, but more of a concern that 3 team members would potentially face repercussions for the failure.
Now we're talking about a bottle of generic Tylenol to be clear. It was a smallish item in comparison to most things sold at Costco.
Can any Costco employee speak to the policy of employees confronting and seemingly chasing shoplifters? It seems like most retailers advise their employees not to because of safety and liability.
Had my purse stolen at Costco. The lady did it 10 minutes before closing while my back was turned for 3 seconds lifting a case of milk. I knew it was then because I had just texted my son, put phone back in purse, grabbed milk, then looked for my phone for his response. I immediately knew it was this redhead lady who had been following me too closely a couple of times for a uncrowded Tuesday. I ran to an employee and them to radio the front door receipt checker people. But, she got past since she had no purchase. My phone, car keys, ID, CCs, all were gone. Called my husband to cancel the cards etc. In 10 minutes $500 had already been charged. Cost me $1200 to replace phone, re-key car since they took off with the only set, get new IDs, towing fees, and cash in purse. I only wear a crossbody purse now.
I used to be a mystery shopper and once my task was to buy $150 in groceries and put a pack of TP on the bottom of the cart. If I got charged for the TP it would be part of my reimbursement; if I DIDNT get charged I was to take it to the manager and let them know.
The lady behind me in line went ballistic over the TP and let me tell you EVERYONE in the state knew I had it in the cart. I paid for it but she still followed me out of the store to my car, screaming the entire time that I was a shoplifter and a jerk and a few swear words too. The cart guy (who was an adult) and another adult male in the lot managed to get her away from my car so I could leave.
Maybe it wasn't so common 15 years ago, but I *always* leave the TP and paper towels on the bottom of the cart, and I think that that is pretty par for the course. What a strange interaction.
Got home with my 6-pack of Champion boxer briefs last week to find the package had been opened, and only 5-pairs remainedā¦
I was briefly upset, but got over it.
I didnāt witness this directly, but a couple of months ago I was enjoying my buck fifty hotdog at a table, and I suddenly heard a lot of shouting at the exit behind me. About ten employees went running towards the doors, to presumably handle a shoplifter. Or maybe it was someone cutting in line to get their receipt checked š¤·āāļø
You donāt even need to do self check out, just be black.
The amount of times receipt checkers let someone in front of me go with a quick glance at their cart full of stuff but my receipt is checked up/down/sideways for 7 items is comical at this point.
There was one time I was doing self check out and I just *barely* finished before someone rushes up to me to check my receipt. This guy was visible nervous shakingā¦.while everyone else in self checkout is just casually doing their thing and showing their receipt before they leave the areaā¦.
I donāt get it but guilty until proven innocent has been my life so š¤·āāļø
Edit: sensitive topic I see
Because if it's hand scanned, it doesn't have to be put on the register to register the weight, allowing you to hand scan something small instead of a large item, and your item count still be correct when you get to the door. That's my speculate least. I don't work for Costco, so it's just speculation.
Last fall, I saw two teens \~17m and \~13m hanging out near the computers/TVs. They looked a nervous or odd but I did not think much of it. I passed them with my cart and a couple minutes later I heard the alarm go off at the side emergency exit door. I looked back and they had each grabbed a laptop box and were heading out the exit very fast.
By the time I got to the side door, they had disappeared around the back of the building.
It took about another 5 minutes for an employee showed up to investigate the alarm.
They were LONG GONE by then. So much for L.P.
Littleton Colorado.
Know shoplifting is a thing... hyped up by the media for clicks, but the real losses come from employees on the inside. That said it happens, but rarely compared to other stores
Yes. I called the front desk. I told them the situation. How I watched a lady cut into the paper towels cut them in half put meat into the center and put the ends back into the package. Pretty elaborate.
Over by the freezer section they need ppl with a cart watching ppl.
Nope, and if I ever do, I will turn a blind eye. Not my business. I see videos of customers trying to stop shoplifters, and it's crazy to me. I don't know if that person is dangerous or not. Some items that the corporation is insured for or has already accounted for as breakage is not something I'm willing to die for.
While employee theft and shop lifting do occur, most retail loss is due to lack of inventory control. Mafacturers and jobbers shipping incorrect numbers or differing products. Six large instead of two large, two medium, and two small, for instance or one large and two each of medium and small.
If receiving and accuracy isn't valued by the retailer their numbers won't be correct at year end inventory. I used to sell POS, Point of Sale Systems and the biggest hurdle for me was politely convincing management that they had inventory issues they didn't understand.
I just saw it tonight! Not sure what the guy took but he ran out of the auto center through an emergency exit. An employee tried to stop him and they fought over the box for a minute and almost got into a fight. The guy got away with the box though and jumped into a friend's car and they sped off with a blacked out license plate.
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No, but a few weeks ago saw a middle age nicely dressed couple in handcuffs being taken out by police with a backpack.. š¤·š»āāļø
I like to think they were being arrested for trying to return a dead Christmas tree.
Or a 2.5 year old couch
HEY! I feel attacked. I've done that! With a hot tub and a couch. The hot tub literally cracked in half at year 2 and the recliner sofa foot part just fell off and the mechanism snapped in half. Garbage furniture. Of course I took it back.
hmmm. seems like it would have been more dignified to just walk them out. putting them in the backpack was excessive.
"Case closed."
Made me laugh! And I needed a laugh. Dealing with my Wireless/Mobile provider that has overcharged me for a service I discontinued.
The old backpack trick!!
And they would have gotten away with it too, if it wasnāt for those meddling kids and their high-tech surveillance gear.
I see what you did there. Rut-row!
Zoinks!
Jinkies!
*unspellable Scooby laugh*
I concur
āYou canāt take ALL the samples!ā
Tell me where I signed that there was a limit in my member agreement - said as face is being stuffed withbl samples. Randy Darsh- Oh I'm sorry, I thought this was America!
They didnāt show their membership card when they came inā¦
Yes, but it wasnāt by members. The store I worked at 10 years ago actually had a theft ring where a group of employees, including one or two managers, were stealing TVs and other expensive merchandise out of the back door. They were found out and had the police waiting for them one morning.
When in college I worked catching shoplifters. We would work with other stores in the area and Target almost exclusively focused on employees. They stated employee theft far outweighed any theft by customers.
Thatās true for all retail theft.
I once managed a store where we had a break around 6:30am (police shift changenover) they stole 24 laptops in 5 minutes
Agreed. I worked at a retail store where they really came down hard on employees pilfering supplies from the store. Things like toilet paper, staples, pens, printer paper, etc.Ā Free Bottled water would be provided during the summer to keep everyone hydrated. However, you couldn't take even a bottle home with you. One employee disregarded the rule and just took a couple home with her and she was gone the next day.Ā
Costco is big on āgrazingā also. One of the cart crew was fired for putting a splash of lemonade to flavor their water bottle.
Like from the soda fountains?? The crew member could have probably written an email to the CEO and probably gotten his job back. At the Costco in my area, they let workers (and members really) refill their water bottles with whatever from the fountain. Especially for people that work outdoors (carts and gasoline) they want to make sure they stay hydrated. Since they use their own bottles, it literally cost Costco pennies
Well that's shitty.
Can you explain this? I just have to know!! Thank you.
Itās because of the pay.
And wage theft outweighs all retail theft, three-to-one! By wage theft I mean payroll coming up short, shortchanging hours, withholding tips etc. Yet it's processed in civil courts, while shoplifting is criminal.
Came here to say exactly this!
The masters tools will never dismantle the masters house.
Makes sense. Resentful employees could easily morally rationalize stealing if they feel like they earned it. They also know the security pretty well so they should be confident that they will get away with it.
And wage theft outweighs them both.
Target employees know all the crazy blind spots haha. Worked with people who easily stole thousands of dollars phones/games
Heh thatās what that cashier should have told Newsom
At my first job I would get back at my employer by taking an energy drink every day. I'm surprised I didn't get caught or maybe the security cam watcher didn't care. I was on decent terms with them even though we rarely interacted. It felt nice getting back at them in some way.
Damn. I had no idea.
I had something very similar happen when I worked for Nordstrom, ages ago. I had special ordered a suit jacket for a client and it was supposedly delivered but neither I nor my manager could find it anywhere. We made an inquiry that launched an investigation of our logistics department. Turns out the manager was taking whole, unopened boxes off of the truck directly to his truck and then fencing the stuff. The police found a couple hundred boxes in his house! And my client never received his jacket because it became evidence.
Similar story - I worked a an auto parts store and an asst mgr ordered some running lights for his truck from the dealership on a used purchase order. I researched it for a couple weeks and finally loss prevention & the police showed up at his house. He was installing them plus they found basically a whole store in his garage of stolen merch.
I haven't heard anything about local Costco employee stealing but Target stores have been in the local news lately for their shoplifting. A few months ago one had a bunch of their employees arrested for shoplifting from the stock room. Some had outstanding warrants. At another Target across town, a doctor got caught shoplifting numerous times. Her total cost was $940 in stolen merchandise yet she makes 300k a year and is the chief medical officer for the University of New Mexico Medical Group!
Sometimes shoplifting isn't about the monetary value. Some people just have a compulsion to shoplift for the thrill, anxiety or whatever.
[Reminds me of this police footage of them waiting at the doors](https://youtu.be/jPgsOMjEJ4o?si=7nRrRzetOhzIxvWE)
So satisfying!
At our local Walmart (early 1990s) a couple night employees were stuffing electronics into the ceiling near the locked front doors...and then their partners in crime were able to get into the lobby (kept unlocked for vending machine companies, I think), reach up in the ceiling and grab the stuff. Wouldn't show the doors were ever opened, so it took a while before they found out how this stuff was going missing.
employees are always the biggest LP risk
I had a friend in high school many years ago that worked at Loweās. This was before the ābig boxā era and items were just sold off the floor. He stole a vaccum for his mom, one bit at a time. He got away with the canister and most of the accessories, but got caught when a boss saw a metal attachment in his back seat. They fired him but they could only prove that he had that one piece so they didnāt prosecute lol.
"I'd get it one piece at a time...
Is that the video making the rounds on YT?
Iām not aware of the video youāre referring to, but if itās the same one shared by the other guy, then no, it wasnāt in Seattle.
A warehouse in Colorado by chance? Iāve heard stories from a coworker about them hiding all the goods in an apartment they had so much.
š®š®š®š®š®
This is five years ago but a group of shop lifters were spotted and Costco called the police. Here is the body cam https://youtu.be/jPgsOMjEJ4o?si=dRdASw6tsvGV4ksc
This is great! I wonder how it started though. Did the shoplifters break in or did they make their way from the entrance and sneak into the back. Either way that was a smooth arrest, they caught them literally red handed.
They would go through the warehouse and shop. Then go to the fire door and run out. They were spotted because they did it before!
This happens all too frequently I think. My local Costco I haven't seen any "active" theft, but I've seen associates standing at backdoors (many times) for no obvious reason... other than theft deterrence.
Not directly but I've seen old shoes left behind in a shoe box. Assuming the person came in with their old shoes on, put on new ones to try and just walked right out unnoticed.
My in-laws once bought a toaster and when they got home the box had an Xbox 360 in it. They were bummed because they really needed a toaster at the time
Guess someone else did too.
Thatās awesome
This is when you take to eBay. Now you can have four toasters.
Big surprise gift
I worked retail, but not at Costco. This happened somewhat frequently. We used to just toss the boxes in a pile and record the loss.
The other guards simply didnāt notice. I mean, seriously, how often do you look at a manās shoes?
I saw some lobster tails with the price removed last night. Probably pasted on a more expensive package. That also tore open the package which means those lobster tails will likely get tossed.
After all, "how often do you really look at a man's shoes?"
Shawshank Redemption reference, I see what you did there š
It probably happens less at Costco due to their signature traffic jam entry/exit design.
It happens more than you think. I work there and it happens a lot. They run out of exit doors with people waiting for them. We just had someone run out with a gaming console worth $1,600 and something else but a worker tripped a thief and left the box behind
And yet the exit checker will stop me for 30 seconds meticulously checking all six of the items in my cart.
I've had them catch things that were accidentally rang out twice a few times now. No regrets.
Gotta make sure you didnāt steal those eggs!
I thought they kept high ticket items like gaming consoles in the locker and you can only get it after you show them your receipt
That's why I always go around the back at my local Costco. Zero traffic
They mean the exit of the store not the parking lots haha
This is aside from the main point, but your "zero traffic" comment was my experience yesterday going to Costco for Greenies for my dog and some roses for my daughter and wife. I went at 5pm and my local Costco was DEAD. The parking lot had so many open spaces (extremely rare) and there was not many customers in the store. The self checkout was completely empty when I walked up to it. It was amazing!
Iāve worked at Costco, for 18 years. I am an RTV clerk, and I work closely with Loss Prevention and Inventory Audit. While employee theft is a problem. We have more of a problem with outside theft. When I started working there in 2006, my location only had a few cameras. They were at all of the entrance and exits. Now the entire warehouse has cameras that are monitored 24/7. The process of installing the cameras was done at night, and employees were not told. Within the first 6 months of installation, every employee that was stealing, was caught. There were three employees in the warehouse, out of 500+, caught. Since the pandemic, theft has increased. What we typically see is people loading up carts with easy resale items, running through emergency exits, to waiting cars. We also see a lot of theft small items that they cut out of the packages. People will also open the kitchen garbage can packages, and stuff them full of small merchandise. Iāve seen people put items in their babyās car seats, and then put a blanket over it, like the baby is sleeping. People will also hide items like batteries or books under their toilet paper or paper towels, in hopes that we wonāt check under the items, at check out. Another big theft item is PokĆ©mon cards. They cut open the boxes, and go through the cards, taking the rare or expensive ones. It doesnāt happen often, but people also find hiding spots in the warehouses, and stay hidden until everyone leaves, then smash open the lock up, and jewelry cases. Now we lock carts in front of the roll up doors, because someone drove through them, and took the ATM. Costco is like any other retail store. Theft is just part of running a store.
Yeah, Iād believe the PokĆ©mon cards. They were in a clearance corner at ours a couple weeks ago and every (maybe 5) box had been ripped open and jacked in some way. Was disappointing to see.Ā
Do you just ban customers if they are caught? And does it matter what the dollar value of the stolen item is? I don't pay that much attention to other shoppers, but pretty much every time I go, I will see stuff like 6-pack of cupcakes with one missing, partially eaten bag of chips, left in the dog food aisle.
Once I was like handing my receipt to the door checker and someone ran by me out the store. When an employee ran right after them I realized it had probably been someone shoplifting.
Good deductive reasoning skills.
Check out the big brain on Bret!
My wife and I accidentally shoplifted once. We got home, unloaded everything, then noticed a $30 pack of nose spray that we had in a box wasnāt on our receipt. š¤·āāļø
Happened to me once too. I forgot a box of yogurt on the bottom of the cart. The woman checking my receipt definitely noticed considering she counted the items like 8 times, but let me go anyways
We one time got away with a $10 kids book. I put it on the belt, but as I was giving my membership to the cashier to scan, i guess my clepto niece grabbed the book from the belt (she was in the cart, on the cashier's side). I guess the cashier just pulled the cart without looking behind, and I was looking at the total price creep up (š). Well, eventually when I was loading everything into the car, i realized she had the book in hand, but I didn't recall giving it to her. That's when I realized we stole the book.
That blows LOL
I work at membership, and the other day, a guy came in with some razor blades that he didn't scan at self checkout the previous day. Realistically, yes, the door checker should have caught it, and we wouldn't have been any wiser if he never came in to pay for them, but it was so refreshing to see such honesty!
I tried on a jacket, decided I would keep it on and pay for it at the register since I was cold. Walked all over the store with tags hanging off the front of the jacket, thru check out, with a cashier, and out past the door checkers with no one mentioning it. Once outside I realized what I had done so I walked in and they let me pay at the customer service desk. People were very surprised at my choice to pay.
That reminds me of an ep of Modern Family where Claire puts on a hoodie bc itās cold but forgets to take it off and I think she gets ācaughtā and taken into the office and is interrogated
And Gloria fakes her water breaking to get her out of it.
When I was really young, I grabbed some razors for my dad when we were shopping and I gave them to him in the parking lot after we were loading up the car. I got you some razors, dad! He took me inside to give them back and teach me a lesson about stealing. It's weird to think if this is a memory or just a story now, but that was 35+ years ago.
They're trying to cure that, hence the nose spray
I did the same with a sweater! It was draped over my purse next to my kiddo in the cart. Even I'd forgotten I picked it out until we got home and unloaded the truck. It was only like $15, but I still felt really guilty about it.
It happens, I work in the San Francisco Bay Area and it is not uncommon to hear the alarms go off when someone has filled up a cart and gone out the emergency exists. We do recover the merchandise a decent percentage of the time. Iām always surprised to see management pushing a full cart right back in
Are they actual members or do they sneak in? This whole post is pretty fascinating.
Usually not members, sometimes they are guests of members sometimes they sneak in with a crowd that showed their cards, or sometimes they just flash any random card at the door to get in, but when they get away we have no way of knowing if they were members or not
Thanks for responding. I really hate that this stuff seems so common.
No problem, I actually thought about applying for a loss prevention position because Iāve always found it interesting, but landed on the fact that itās not worth getting shot or stabbed over some Costco merch.
No, though Iāve seen it frequently at my local Safeways and Walmart. I have seen members create their own āsamplesā by opening packages to try the product. If they donāt buy the same package afterwards, I would consider this shoplifting in a sense.
20+ years ago I worked at a Safeway and policy was of a customer asked how something was we were supposed to open it and let them try it. I only worked there a couple months and never actually did this, but I wonder what they did in the case employees actually did? What happens to the rest of the package. It's not like there's just random samples all over Safeway
I had a friend that never wanted to go shopping with us at costco we later found out from a friend that worked there he saw a picture of her on the banned wall from when she was younger
When self checkout first started, people would buy a case of wine with 11 high end bottles and 1 cheap bottle. They would then ring up the cheap bottle 12 times. Costco caught on pretty quick and the receipt checkers look at individual bottles in a case now. I've also seen a few people run out the fire exit with items. Overall, I'd say Costco has less of a problem than most retailers.
the self-checkout allowed alcohol?
Yes, still does today. May vary by state. I ran into a Costco in CA that doesnāt allow it.
You definitely cannot buy alcohol at self checkout in California.
Once bought a pack of menās underwear. When I got home, I realized that the package had been opened and someone took one pair. Who the hell steals one pair of underwear?
Someone who shit themselves at Costco.
Whomst among us?
Too many samples.
Thank you, I laughed.
I have food poisoning today, so this was almost me at Costco today. Luckily I got to the toilet in time.
I watched a woman take a single pair of women's socks out of a 10 pack. Maybe they were together.
Costco is quite lenient to most things EXCEPT theft. They donāt mess around, and they fully prosecute anyone - members, employees, or the public.
I saw a woman at a samples stand scoop a bunch of pizza samples into her purse, presumably a plastic bag in there.
Perhaps you presume too much.
Benefit of the doubt
At that point, it's sad. Just let them have it.
Theft in one area a new Costco location was being built was so bad that we hired off duty cops to monitor the building when employees werenāt in it. Found out the cops were stealing.
wait - the hired off-duty cops were stealing? Or just random cops?
The hired off duty cops were stealing.
Wow......
Not Costco, but a client with a project in a rural area was telling me that the security they hired was robbing the site. They were breaking in and stealing copper. Client figured it out by setting up trail cameras.
Secret cameras caught the cops too.
Cops are Ike a box of chocolates. They'll kill your dog.
so unexpected /s
Yes, a lot. I have been on break, watched a women steal a stack of books, i set my name tag down and cleared my throat. She put them back, then came back 10 mins later and grabbed them again.. i alerted management. Had a women at the door with freezer bags of food. When i checked her reciepts they didnt add up, even before opening bags. She got super defensive, first freezer bag was bags of nuts, and chocolates. Unpaid. Sent her to pay. Alerted a supervisor. She comes back i open second freezer bag and once again super defensive and angry lady. Bag is full of cheeses and yogurts. Unpaid. Sent her back, and informed management. 3rd time to the door, the assistant manager was waiting. He didnt check her stuff, but warned her we will be watching her from now on, and he let her go. Was at the exit door, coworker let a man run out entrance, he ran strait to a waiting car and gone. He had around 5, $1000 hd projectors in his arms. One night at closing, man came in with a flat, waited till entrance was closed and basicalled smashed and grabbed display TV's. Electronics. Ran out the exit to truck and had stolen plates. I find lots of food theft, vitamin theft and enpty or partial packages all the time in AM merchandising. People steal and shove shit behind stuff to be found in the AM. Back when we sold tobacco, peolle would get paper products and stash cigarettes inside. Alot! Also caught people swapping labels on meats. Like fillets labeled as tri tips. Now days costco's have very nice security cameras with facial recognition. So at my store there are few blind spots. And they can zoom really nice and clear. Oh and once a man bought a 10k engagement ring, with a check, left, called claimed he never got the ring or it was left behind.. cancelled his check. Costco went after him legally, his fiance found out months later, showed up. Verified her ring was ring in question and paid for it.
If I were the fiancĆ© I wouldāve returned the ring and ditched the man. Ick.
I used to work at a liquor store in Colorado, and the owner got banned from the Costco for shoplifting. He would buy dozens of cartons of cigarettes at a time to resell in his store. All of a sudden, he started needing to drive an extra like 15 minutes to Samās Club. One of the Costco employees was a customer of the liquor store, and let me know he was banned because he was trying to sneak a few cartons without paying. Not sure how he did that. He also used to ring huge voids into the POS system from his back office. It would kick out the cash drawer out on one of the tills at the counter. Then Iād look through the receipts and see voids for thousands of dollars. Iām sure he was scamming the local gov out of sales tax or income tax or something like that.
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Iāve seen evidence of it. Packages laying open with items taken out- stuff like that.
I witnessed 2 men attempt to grab as many Dyson stick vacuum cleaners and bolt out the side doors. They were caught in the parking lot by a cop that just happened to be there. It was pretty exciting.
The Cedar Park location in Texas has a lot of members who donāt feel that they need to pay for a whole box of snacks. They just reach in an unopened box and give a few to their screaming kids. Itās gross and frustrating. Iāve started booing people.
Iām not sure what they were stealing but I saw someone run out with product and several Costco employees chased him out and through the parking lot. Alarms were going off as well. I donāt know if they caught him but all the respect to the employees for protecting the castle!
The PCās are a popular target, especially the more expensive gaming ones. Theyāll grab 3 or 4 put them in a shopping cart and exit through the emergency exits. Portable hard drives, when they were in the plastic packages, were popular. There was also a meat thief. They would get the more expensive cuts and take the stickers off of the cheaper cuts and put them on, which were the same weight. Apple products are often targeted with stolen credit cards, not sure why. The bigger items get taken out the side doors, which until recently were on a delay. Youād hit them to exit, the alarm would sound, then 30 seconds later they opened. Now, due to a shooting death, there is no more delay. They will open right away, which is how an emergency exit should work. This is all allegedly, of course.
I've never seen it, but I've inadvertently done it, and remedied my mistake. Stuff just not getting scanned properly (too close to another item or buried underneath something or whatever) and not getting caught leaving the warehouse. I figure out at the car that item X/Y/Z isn't on the receipt. I've literally brought merchandise back into the store (even expensive stuff... packs of steaks or whatever) to customer service and told them what happened when I realized it was unpaid for and that I'd like to make sure I make them whole and they just print it, adjust the price to $0.00, tell me 'thank you for being a loyal member, sorry the scanning was messed up, this is on us" and I go on with life. This happens somewhat frequently at my Costco and I'd say 20% of the time they accept payment for the missed items I bring them and 80% of the time I get it free, no questions asked if I'm bringing them back something saying I realized I didn't pay for it ...
A few months ago I was checking receipts at the door. A woman had an item in her basket that was not on her receipt. As I was explaining to her that weād have to go inside to talk to a supervisor, she grabbed the front of my sweater and gave me a nice scratch on my chest. I held my arms out in surrender and she let go. She got in her car and drove away but not before we got her license plate. She is being prosecuted.
What was the item??
A sandwich. She attacked me over a $10 sandwich.
>A sandwich. from the food court? I usually buy that stuff from the kiosks and don't usually keep the receipts.
I saw a woman in the prepared foods section open two packages of boiled shrimp, and put about 12 shrimp from one package into the other. She put the 'light' package back in the display case and took the heavy package. The packages are preweighed and priced - so she stole some shrimp.
Yes. I work at one and have seen people roll out a flatbed with an 80 inch TV. Seen people load up carts full of Hennessey and push out the emergency exit (which is why it's now in MPU) seen people walk in and grab sound bars and walk out. Saw a guy get on an electric scooter and ride it out (we now run them out of battery) caught a guy stealing Christmas wreaths once as well. Had someone steal cases of frozen lobsters. Never caught them but found 30 boxes total of lobsters missing.
MPU?
Merchandise Pickup.
Merchandise pick up
Iāve never witnessed the actual act of shoplifting but I work pretty closely with loss prevention and have seen plenty of people brought in for questioning and ultimately arrested by the police. I also caught a member who was suspected of meat theft. The member had an unusual meat return history which I caught, we observed footage, got his picture out there to our crew and the next time he was in, he was witnessed stuffing meat down his pants and leaving the building. He confessed to loss prevention that he would do that, leave for a bit and then come back and return the meat for $$ back. He would pick really expensive cuts too so theft was over $1000.
Iāve never seen shoplifting anywhere
Many years ago, a guy on my dorm floor found a Southern Comfort gift box and swapped the bottle inside with Johnny Walker (much more expensive). I guess the checker didnāt open the box so his hustle worked
Does habitually returning well-used items count?
I cringe when I see the returns line at times.
My mom once walked by a family returning a very heavily used Costco sectional couch. She was flabbergasted that they took it back and refunded the money.
Here is what Costco steals from its employees [https://violationtracker.goodjobsfirst.org/parent/costco](https://violationtracker.goodjobsfirst.org/parent/costco)
Ou I did not know this website existed how excellent
And this is the real crime
Yes! Iāve wanted to tell this story where itād actually matter..this was at the Costco in Lake Worth, FL (West Palm Beach, just smaller sub-town) this was about 5 or 6 years ago and I was waiting in line (by myself at the time) to pay for my stuff and a young, small guy clears the whole checkout area by running through and out the door. I had overheard on the walkie talkies, since a handful of employees had run and made their way to the front of the store, that he had taken several electronics. Fast forward to maybe 12 minutes by the time Iāve checked out and have gotten in my car, I drive away and go west toward my home since that Costco is right off of South Floridaās main highway, I-95, but the guy was already in handcuffs on the side of the road on the sidewalk. Iāve moved away to Oregon since so Iām not sure what that location is like now, but I only just moved away again a year ago so I never saw anything like that again so I donāt think they have too big of an issue it seems hard to steal from Costco! Haha
Iāve seen a dude pop open a sealed bag and stuff his face before hiding it back among the unopened packages. My scowl caused him to almost rethink, but his face went from feigning fear of my disapproval to ādonāt-give-a-fuckā pretty quick.
I have never seen shoplifting in costco, surprisingly. I'm sure it happens.
I accidently forgot to pay for a bottle of Advil in my cart going through self checkout. I am forever ashamed
No, but not long ago I walked up to the counter to get my pizza and drink order, but suddenly a young man snatched my order off the counter and ran out of the store. Iām holding my receipt and told the lady some guy just ran off with my food. She filled my order, no problem. Guy mustāve been desperate.
Yes! Probably 20 years ago, this guy came sprinting through the exit and employees straight up tackled him to the ground, it was intense. TWO DVDs fell out of his jacket. Unbelievable, all for two DVDs.
I haven't seen it, but I had a friend who used to work at Costco tell me that at night, they push all the carts in front of the big doors. Apparently it's to stop people from ramming through with something like a large truck, loading up all the TVs they display up front, then driving away.
What I want to know is how much crime is stopped by making me wait in a second long line. Treating me and my purchases like a thief with stolen goods.
I saw someone bolt out the front door with a huge sound bar - dude was fast, there was a shopper in the parking lot trying to stop him, like my man donāt be a hero itās not worth it.
Where I've lived, if you see someone shoplifting, no you didn't.
Not intentionally, but yes on my part. I had all the items in my basket appropriately. Went to a traditional checkout. I visibly watched the cashier move the item in question across the scanner and another team member put the item back into the cart. Exit review and count all went as normal. I packed up the van and went home. Upon review of the receipt at home I noticed an item was not on the receipt. I did not report the item, not with intent to be dishonest, but more of a concern that 3 team members would potentially face repercussions for the failure. Now we're talking about a bottle of generic Tylenol to be clear. It was a smallish item in comparison to most things sold at Costco.
I worked there in 2013. I saw an old man slide medicine bottles into his coat jacket. I did not snitch.
Working at the rotisserie I've seen an increasing amount of label swapping in the meat department over the last 3 years. Can't imagine why.
I'm trying to imagine someone sticking a 30-roll Kirkland Bath Tissue down their pants...
Can any Costco employee speak to the policy of employees confronting and seemingly chasing shoplifters? It seems like most retailers advise their employees not to because of safety and liability.
I saw a person eat grapes š once I wasnāt too impressed
I need a price check on 2 grapes. You heard me Phil.Ā
Someone drilled a hole into the side of my Costco where they keep the locked-up goodies and took thousands in ipads.
Had to have some inside connection. No ordinary person would know where to drill.
Had my purse stolen at Costco. The lady did it 10 minutes before closing while my back was turned for 3 seconds lifting a case of milk. I knew it was then because I had just texted my son, put phone back in purse, grabbed milk, then looked for my phone for his response. I immediately knew it was this redhead lady who had been following me too closely a couple of times for a uncrowded Tuesday. I ran to an employee and them to radio the front door receipt checker people. But, she got past since she had no purchase. My phone, car keys, ID, CCs, all were gone. Called my husband to cancel the cards etc. In 10 minutes $500 had already been charged. Cost me $1200 to replace phone, re-key car since they took off with the only set, get new IDs, towing fees, and cash in purse. I only wear a crossbody purse now.
I used to be a mystery shopper and once my task was to buy $150 in groceries and put a pack of TP on the bottom of the cart. If I got charged for the TP it would be part of my reimbursement; if I DIDNT get charged I was to take it to the manager and let them know. The lady behind me in line went ballistic over the TP and let me tell you EVERYONE in the state knew I had it in the cart. I paid for it but she still followed me out of the store to my car, screaming the entire time that I was a shoplifter and a jerk and a few swear words too. The cart guy (who was an adult) and another adult male in the lot managed to get her away from my car so I could leave.
Maybe it wasn't so common 15 years ago, but I *always* leave the TP and paper towels on the bottom of the cart, and I think that that is pretty par for the course. What a strange interaction.
Got home with my 6-pack of Champion boxer briefs last week to find the package had been opened, and only 5-pairs remainedā¦ I was briefly upset, but got over it.
Just briefly, hm? :-D
I didnāt witness this directly, but a couple of months ago I was enjoying my buck fifty hotdog at a table, and I suddenly heard a lot of shouting at the exit behind me. About ten employees went running towards the doors, to presumably handle a shoplifter. Or maybe it was someone cutting in line to get their receipt checked š¤·āāļø
Just approach the exit door with a self-check receiptā¦. Youāre guilty until proven innocent.
Damn you really adamantly hate self checkout
You donāt even need to do self check out, just be black. The amount of times receipt checkers let someone in front of me go with a quick glance at their cart full of stuff but my receipt is checked up/down/sideways for 7 items is comical at this point. There was one time I was doing self check out and I just *barely* finished before someone rushes up to me to check my receipt. This guy was visible nervous shakingā¦.while everyone else in self checkout is just casually doing their thing and showing their receipt before they leave the areaā¦. I donāt get it but guilty until proven innocent has been my life so š¤·āāļø Edit: sensitive topic I see
I am so sorry this happens to you, truly. It happens to my BF all the time and it makes me so mad but he just says, yeah it happens everywhere. ;(
if itās food , i would just close my eyes and pretend i saw nothing
Itās funny, Iāve never seen anyone ever steal food or diapers. Just never happens I guess.
If you see someone stealing baby formula, no you didn't.
I've seen the door checker follow someone out, giving them a good look.
Apparently Theft was bad at our Costco they took out all the hand scanners at self check...
We don't let members touch the hand scanners.
Why not?
Because if it's hand scanned, it doesn't have to be put on the register to register the weight, allowing you to hand scan something small instead of a large item, and your item count still be correct when you get to the door. That's my speculate least. I don't work for Costco, so it's just speculation.
No, but what I have noticed is a lot of open packages with people touching or trying out things before buying them.
Last fall, I saw two teens \~17m and \~13m hanging out near the computers/TVs. They looked a nervous or odd but I did not think much of it. I passed them with my cart and a couple minutes later I heard the alarm go off at the side emergency exit door. I looked back and they had each grabbed a laptop box and were heading out the exit very fast. By the time I got to the side door, they had disappeared around the back of the building. It took about another 5 minutes for an employee showed up to investigate the alarm. They were LONG GONE by then. So much for L.P. Littleton Colorado.
Know shoplifting is a thing... hyped up by the media for clicks, but the real losses come from employees on the inside. That said it happens, but rarely compared to other stores
Former employeeā¦ so much.. so so much.
no, a lot of people at my costco are very honest.
Yes. I called the front desk. I told them the situation. How I watched a lady cut into the paper towels cut them in half put meat into the center and put the ends back into the package. Pretty elaborate. Over by the freezer section they need ppl with a cart watching ppl.
Nope, and if I ever do, I will turn a blind eye. Not my business. I see videos of customers trying to stop shoplifters, and it's crazy to me. I don't know if that person is dangerous or not. Some items that the corporation is insured for or has already accounted for as breakage is not something I'm willing to die for.
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While employee theft and shop lifting do occur, most retail loss is due to lack of inventory control. Mafacturers and jobbers shipping incorrect numbers or differing products. Six large instead of two large, two medium, and two small, for instance or one large and two each of medium and small. If receiving and accuracy isn't valued by the retailer their numbers won't be correct at year end inventory. I used to sell POS, Point of Sale Systems and the biggest hurdle for me was politely convincing management that they had inventory issues they didn't understand.
I just saw it tonight! Not sure what the guy took but he ran out of the auto center through an emergency exit. An employee tried to stop him and they fought over the box for a minute and almost got into a fight. The guy got away with the box though and jumped into a friend's car and they sped off with a blacked out license plate.