THE CEO of a major retail company is calling on local governments to enact stronger consequences against shoplifters as retail theft continues to run rampant.
Tom Anderson, CEO of The Paper Store, has claimed retail theft has turned into organized criminal activity, making the shoplifters “big money” at the expense of retailers.
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“These are organized retail criminals and there’s big money in it,” Anderson told CBS affiliate WBZ-TV.
“They can steal these products, they can sell it on the black makers unless there are consequences.”
His concerns come just as surveillance footage was released of multiple thieves stealing items from various New England locations.
In one of the clips, a woman can be seen calmly putting several Stanley Cup tumblers into her open bag – appearing to be unbothered by the nearby employee.
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Another piece of footage shows another woman simply walking out of the store holding several Bogg Bags.
Anderson told the outlet that The Paper Store locations in Massachusetts alone have been targeted by thieves at least 17 times in the past month.
“They know there’s really no consequences to their actions, so they don’t have to rush. They don’t have to hide it,” he said.
In order to combat the theft, the CEO explained that his company has had to spend tens of thousands of dollars to protect their products with high resolution security cameras and locking security measures.
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While he indicated he is attempting to help local law enforcement identify the perpetrators, it is not enough.
“I think the state needs to work aggressively on this,” Anderson said.
“It’s not just the Paper Store that’s being hurt, it’s all the local retailers. We know there are retailers that are closing their doors because the theft is so bad.”
Over the past year, retail theft has run rampant across the United States, forcing major businesses like Target, Walmart and CVS to lock up everyday items in stores.
Some have even resorted to locking the wheels on shopping carts, to prevent potential thieves from getting away.
Meanwhile, other retailers have been forced to close various locations over the lost merchandise.
In 2022 alone, theft-related losses increased from $93.9 billion to $112.1 billion from the year before, according to the 2023 National Retail Security Survey.
David Johnston, the NRF Vice President for Asset Protection and Retail Operations, has warned the situation “is only becoming more dire.”
While shoppers have taken to social media to complain about the security measures for months – arguing that it worsens the customer experience – theft has continued to rise.
Ryan Kearny, the Retailers Association of Massachusetts, revealed to WBZ-TV that theft in Boston alone is up around 12%.
“The more as we treat this as a non-issue, the more brazen folks become,” he told the outlet, calling for stricter laws.
https://www.the-sun.com/news/10361060/paper-store-ceo-warns-brazen-theft-surveillance-footage/