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Iceland boss says shoplifters 'worse than armed robbers'
21 Aug 2009Shoplifters cause more problems for retailers than armed robbers, a leading businessman claimed today.
Malcolm Walker, chief executive of frozen food store Iceland, called for the law to recognise the impact of theft and said shopkeepers were frustrated by the limited powers available to deal with a "tidal wave" of petty crime.
Police would respond to a call about a potentially dangerous robbery whereas the "little old lady who steals a packet of cheese or the kids who nick a few sweets" would not warrant it, he said.
According to Mr Walker, the problem cost shops millions of pounds and caused "constant aggravation" to staff who had to deal with it every day, whereas an armed robbery was "soon over with".
Writing in Retail Week, Mr Walker said: "That's because petty shoplifting has been decriminalised - it's not really a crime at all, is it?
"No one suffers, the shop can afford it. It's victimless. The police aren't interested and usually don't turn up."
Mr Walker said while he was grateful no employees had been hurt in an armed robbery, several managers had suffered injuries at the hands of the "kids and old ladies".
Staff faced risking injury by attempting to detain a suspected shoplifter, while Iceland spent "millions of pounds" on security guards and cameras that had "never been used in evidence", he added.
"We have a tidal wave of petty shoplifting, hundreds of incidents every day that end in verbal abuse and often violence - but it's ok because it's not really a crime is it?" he said.
"It sounds absurd, but the weekly armed robbery is much less of a problem for us - I think our managers would agree that one armed robbery (soon over with) is better than the daily grind of constant aggravation, taking all the fun out of the job.
"Somebody please tell the police it's a crime."
Shop theft costs retailers about £2 billion a year, according to the British Retail Consortium.
Reader views (9)
Um... Iceland is hardly expensive!!!
- Anon, devon, 23/08/2009 19:57
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What a bunch of commies some of you are. "if shops made the food cheaper no one would need to steel" pathetic. If lowlife didn't steel food would be cheaper. but it wouldn't make any differance because we know for a fact that many of these people spend their benefits on fags, booze and drugs and then shop lift all their food because they know courts won't send them down for steeling "food for their kids". i know, because i used to be one so don't even try and tell me this is not the case 
the man is right, the Police need to stop the minor crime as everytime these people get away with anything, they are emblodened to comitt further, bigger offences. they should be stopped before they commit murder and the like
- Barry, woking, surrey, UK, 23/08/2009 13:04
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If shops weren't so expensive, people wouldn't need to steal. High inflation in Britain over the past 50 years means that basic food is now too expensive.
To combat shoplifting and high food prices, shops should be created that are publicly run. This means food could be sold at cost without the need for profit. This in turn means food would be cheaper and more affordable; and there would be no need to steal.
- Anon, portsmouth, 23/08/2009 00:54
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There's not enough food in the UK? Are you kidding? Take a look at places like Thailand, India, Africa, Cuba then tell me there's a shortage of food!
- Dione, Expat, 22/08/2009 06:59
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Nu Laber policy on crime:
1. Criminals have 'rights' - and victims have a responsibility to accept this without question
2. Soft on crime, soft on causes of crime, soft on criminals, tough on causes of crime, tough on victims of crime.
3. A 'crime' under Nu Laber is dropping litter, or selling bananas by the pound instead of by the kilo.
Welcome to Stalinesque UK 2009!
- Joannie, London, England, 21/08/2009 21:30
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Reuben, I suspect the average shoplifter is not some starving old woman. And in this country, a majority of food stamp recipients are now said to be obese.
Poverty and old age is not the cause of this shoplifting.
- Trunk, US, 21/08/2009 16:46
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I am very suprised at the reactions here, Stealing is Stealing. end of story, are you saying that the poor have a right to steal?? England must be a strange place where you excuse old ladies and kids, get real, this is criminal behaviour
- Roger Lawley, Beziers France, 21/08/2009 16:28
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This is a good wheeze. What else today is "worse than armed robbers?" How about parking tickets -- more of a threat for the average person going out than being mugged in the street by a gang of callow youth? How about arbitrary bank charges, far more damaging than Richard Pryor's scam in Superman II to steal a penny or two from every payroll cheque?
- Bloke, London, 21/08/2009 14:32
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What does Iceland expect? Old ladies cannot afford to buy a packet of cheese and kids' pocket money is insufficient to buy a few sweets in Third World UK.
The police fail to respond to a house burglary - you are given a crime record number to pass on to the insurers.
I sympathise with shops who are blighted with shoplifters. I strongly object to being followed around my local supermarket by two gestapo wombles, watching my every move, in the name of security.
IF PEEPS IN THE UK HAD ENOUGH TO EAT, THEY WOULD NOT NEED TO STEAL FROM SHOPS.
- Reuben Camara, Principality of Morecambe, EUSSR, 21/08/2009 13:12
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