Women shoplift more than men
Dec 12, 2008
A Kampala shoplifter will most likely be a middle aged adult female of medium income and secondary education.
By Lydia Namubiru
A Kampala shoplifter will most likely be a middle aged adult female of medium income and secondary education.
She will come to a supermarket in the city centre in the evening hours, most likely in November or December, to steal a perfume.
And supermarket owners need to be on full alert because shoplifting increases during these months.
This was revealed in a Saturday Vision survey which analysed 190 shoplifting incidents in 30 Kampala supermarkets in May.
Some of the other surprising revelations of the survey were that in Kampala, females are more likely to shoplift than males, middle aged adults steal more than children and young adults, people of medium income are more likely to shoplift than low and high income earners.
People who completed secondary education steal more than any other group of people.
The findings seriously challenge the common stereotype that women are more honest and trustworthy than men.
A total of 100 or 53% of the 190 shoplifters were women. In addition, 20 of the 30 supermarket managers interviewed said women posed the highest shoplifting threat.
Contrary to popular belief, it is not the dire need to provide for their children that drives women to steal.
While only two supermarket managers mentioned baby milk as a high risk stock, 13 mentioned perfume. In fact, perfume is the single most shoplifted item in supermarkets (15% of all shoplifted items reported by supermarkets in Kampala district).
Persons educated to secondary school level contributed 30% of the recorded shoplifters.
Ironically, those who went as far as university are just as likely to shoplift as those who dropped out in primary school.
Each of these groups contributed 16.7% to the total shoplifters. Supermarket managers could not ascertain the education levels of 36.7% of the shoplifters they arrested in May.
Perfume, milk, chocolate and biscuits were found to be the most attractive commodities for shoplifters. From a list of 40 high risk goods that supermarket managers mentioned, 35% of supermarket owners mentioned any or all the four.
The survey established that shoplifting was an all year round problem but it peaked in November December, as well as days preceding the big holidays like Easter.
These seasons alone suffer half of the entire year’s shoplifting burden.
However, the evening is by far the most dangerous time for supermarkets, with 83.3% of the shoplifting incidents recorded in May around Kampala taking place in those hours.
The problem of shoplifting in Kampala is so serious that some supermarkets nab up to 30 shoplifters in a single month.
This translates into an average of one shoplifting incident daily.
The central division is the worst affected, followed by Kawempe.
The unscrupulous shoppers will go to great lengths to hide their bounty. Supermarket managers mentioned such tricks as women hiding the stolen goods in their knickers.
However, the vast majority either stuff the items into their pockets or hide them among the paid for items.
Also noteworthy is the way supermarket attendants handle shoplifters.
Appointing themselves apprehenders, judge and jury, the retailers impose on-spot fines on those they deem shoplifters.
The fines often come as double payment for the item pinched.
Some beat shoplifters, or lock them in their stores for up to 24 hours, parade them before the media or pin their photos on noticeboards labelled ‘shoplifters’.
It is only about half (56%) of the time that the suspected shoplifters are handed over to the police. Supermarket managers explained that they are reluctant to involve the police because they often let the culprits off scot-free.
Although Simeo Nsubuga, the police spokesperson for Kampala extra refutes the claim that shoplifters are let off, he too throws the burden of curbing the vice back to the retailers.
“Prevention is better than cure. The supermarkets should improve their security to prevent shoplifting.†He advises them to:
• Have closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance installed and post signs warning potential shoplifters that they are being watched on the cameras.
• Have only one open entry into the store. it should also be the exit from the store.
• Staff should use the same entrance as customers. Availing a back door to them gives them a chance to sneak out with goods.
• Carefully vet the people you employ. Nsubuga cites a case where an attendant replaced mineral water bottles in a carton with toilet soap.
He then resealed it and later gave it to an accomplice who went out as a buyer but paid the price of water which was a lot lower than that of the soap concealed in the box.
• Have a standby generator to avoid even a few minutes’ darkness when power fails, as this gives shoplifters an opportunity to steal something.
In addition to Nsubuga’s advice, a 2006 study by psychologist Patrick Nesse and others of the University of Kansas gives some useful insights.
The study found that the most commonly used preventive measure in the US, which is the marking of high risk stock, produced “immediate and dramatic decreases in shoplifting.â€
The study whose findings were published in the medical journal, PubMed, found that when retailers specifically attached bright markers like red stars on the most shoplifted times and even posted signs to tell shoppers that the items were marked because shoplifters like to take them, shoplifting of those particular items almost went down to zero.
However, should prevention fail, a nabbed shoplifter must be referred to the police, because by punishing him or her, the retailers also break the law.
“They should just bring them to us with their exhibits. That is a straight case of theft and we shall charge the suspects in court,†Nsubuga promises.
A Kampala shoplifter will most likely be a middle aged adult female of medium income and secondary education.
She will come to a supermarket in the city centre in the evening hours, most likely in November or December, to steal a perfume.
And supermarket owners need to be on full alert because shoplifting increases during these months.
This was revealed in a Saturday Vision survey which analysed 190 shoplifting incidents in 30 Kampala supermarkets in May.
Some of the other surprising revelations of the survey were that in Kampala, females are more likely to shoplift than males, middle aged adults steal more than children and young adults, people of medium income are more likely to shoplift than low and high income earners.
People who completed secondary education steal more than any other group of people.
The findings seriously challenge the common stereotype that women are more honest and trustworthy than men.
A total of 100 or 53% of the 190 shoplifters were women. In addition, 20 of the 30 supermarket managers interviewed said women posed the highest shoplifting threat.
Contrary to popular belief, it is not the dire need to provide for their children that drives women to steal.
While only two supermarket managers mentioned baby milk as a high risk stock, 13 mentioned perfume. In fact, perfume is the single most shoplifted item in supermarkets (15% of all shoplifted items reported by supermarkets in Kampala district).
Persons educated to secondary school level contributed 30% of the recorded shoplifters.
Ironically, those who went as far as university are just as likely to shoplift as those who dropped out in primary school.
Each of these groups contributed 16.7% to the total shoplifters. Supermarket managers could not ascertain the education levels of 36.7% of the shoplifters they arrested in May.
Perfume, milk, chocolate and biscuits were found to be the most attractive commodities for shoplifters. From a list of 40 high risk goods that supermarket managers mentioned, 35% of supermarket owners mentioned any or all the four.
The survey established that shoplifting was an all year round problem but it peaked in November December, as well as days preceding the big holidays like Easter.
These seasons alone suffer half of the entire year’s shoplifting burden.
However, the evening is by far the most dangerous time for supermarkets, with 83.3% of the shoplifting incidents recorded in May around Kampala taking place in those hours.
The problem of shoplifting in Kampala is so serious that some supermarkets nab up to 30 shoplifters in a single month.
This translates into an average of one shoplifting incident daily.
The central division is the worst affected, followed by Kawempe.
The unscrupulous shoppers will go to great lengths to hide their bounty. Supermarket managers mentioned such tricks as women hiding the stolen goods in their knickers.
However, the vast majority either stuff the items into their pockets or hide them among the paid for items.
Also noteworthy is the way supermarket attendants handle shoplifters.
Appointing themselves apprehenders, judge and jury, the retailers impose on-spot fines on those they deem shoplifters.
The fines often come as double payment for the item pinched.
Some beat shoplifters, or lock them in their stores for up to 24 hours, parade them before the media or pin their photos on noticeboards labelled ‘shoplifters’.
It is only about half (56%) of the time that the suspected shoplifters are handed over to the police. Supermarket managers explained that they are reluctant to involve the police because they often let the culprits off scot-free.
Although Simeo Nsubuga, the police spokesperson for Kampala extra refutes the claim that shoplifters are let off, he too throws the burden of curbing the vice back to the retailers.
“Prevention is better than cure. The supermarkets should improve their security to prevent shoplifting.†He advises them to:
• Have closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance installed and post signs warning potential shoplifters that they are being watched on the cameras.
• Have only one open entry into the store. it should also be the exit from the store.
• Staff should use the same entrance as customers. Availing a back door to them gives them a chance to sneak out with goods.
• Carefully vet the people you employ. Nsubuga cites a case where an attendant replaced mineral water bottles in a carton with toilet soap.
He then resealed it and later gave it to an accomplice who went out as a buyer but paid the price of water which was a lot lower than that of the soap concealed in the box.
• Have a standby generator to avoid even a few minutes’ darkness when power fails, as this gives shoplifters an opportunity to steal something.
In addition to Nsubuga’s advice, a 2006 study by psychologist Patrick Nesse and others of the University of Kansas gives some useful insights.
The study found that the most commonly used preventive measure in the US, which is the marking of high risk stock, produced “immediate and dramatic decreases in shoplifting.â€
The study whose findings were published in the medical journal, PubMed, found that when retailers specifically attached bright markers like red stars on the most shoplifted times and even posted signs to tell shoppers that the items were marked because shoplifters like to take them, shoplifting of those particular items almost went down to zero.
However, should prevention fail, a nabbed shoplifter must be referred to the police, because by punishing him or her, the retailers also break the law.
“They should just bring them to us with their exhibits. That is a straight case of theft and we shall charge the suspects in court,†Nsubuga promises.