Kerre Woodham: We need to be part of the solution to retail crime

A new report from Retail NZ has revealed the state of retail crime in New Zealand - 99% of the membership of Retail NZ has experienced some form of crime or antisocial behaviour in 2023/24, that's up from 93% the year prior.  

I remember thinking that's a lot, National want to be working on that because they were very strong in opposition and in the election campaign saying they were going to get tough on retail crime – it seems to have got worse. It ranges from credit card fraud, shoplifting, threatening behaviour, criminal damage, or physical assault. Retail NZ’s membership recorded 140,746 incidents of retail crime over that period.  

What I find really interesting from the report is that almost 40% of those retail crimes were not reported to police. There were a range of reasons why respondents didn't report to police. Apparently it was because of low value items not being worth the effort, the retailer discovered the offence too late, or they dealt with it directly. There were also concerns that what was the point? What was the point of telling the police? Nothing's going to happen.  

I would love to know from retailers at what point do you give up caring? 40% of retail crimes are not reported to police. That's a hell of a lot. When do you reach the stage of simply shrugging your shoulders and saying, what are you going to do about it? Have you become so inured to retail crime, to abusive language, to people just putting something in their pocket or putting something in their bag and walking out, you're like, well another day? 

I remember Chris Quinn from Foodstuffs when we were talking about people walking out with trolleys full of groceries. And I said, well, why don't you put in the measures that people have told me about overseas, where you scan your receipt and then the gates open, and your trolley and you, can walk out. If you don't have a receipt, the gates don't open – make it jolly hard to walk out with a trolley full of groceries. He said, I just don't think the public could put up with that. Yeah, we would, wouldn't we? I thought that was a really defeatist attitude. He said, you know, the majority shouldn't be punished for the minor, obviously, but I mean that is the way society works. We have rules and legislation to cater to the numpties and the low lifes and the stupid and the criminal.  

I personally don't mind putting my receipt to a scanner and having the gates open if it means that some arrogant arse is prevented from walking out with a trolley full of groceries and sticking two fingers to us all. I really don't mind. It would be minimal in terms of hassle, in terms of hold up. The same would be true of many retail security measures. It makes more sense to have security measures in shops and supermarkets than it does at the airport. Me taking my boots off does not help us find the Malaysian Airlines plane that crashed. It makes more sense to me to be held up slightly at the supermarket, ever so slightly if it means that people aren't getting away with it.  

They seem to take great delight in it, and that's what annoys me. We've got to have a zero tolerance policy to this sort of retail crime. And that means you and I have to be part of the solution. It's not just retailers, it's not just police that are going to make a difference. It's when you and I are willing to accept a little bit of inconvenience to tell the toerags and the freeloaders and the criminals that up with this we will no longer put. Draw a line in the sand and for once let the good guys prevail.   

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Carrywood and Mornings podcast from News
Talks HEADB.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
A new report from Retail New Zealand has revealed the
state of retail crime in New Zealand. Ninety nine percent
of the membership of Retail New Zealand has experienced some
form of crime or antisocial behavior in twenty twenty three
twenty twenty four. That's up from ninety three percent the

(00:31):
year prior. I remember that thinking that's a lot national
want to be working on that because they were very
strong in opposition and in the election campaign saying they
were going to get tough on retail crime. Seems to
have got worse. Rangers from credit card fraud, shoplifting, threatening behavior,
criminal damage or physical assault. Retail New Zealand's membership recorded

(00:57):
one hundred and forty thousand, seven hundred and forty six
incidents of retail crime over that period. What I find
really interesting from the as that almost forty percent of
those retail crimes were not reported to police. There were
a range of reasons why respondents didn't report to police.

(01:20):
Apparently it was because of low value items not being
worth the effort. The retailer discovered the offense too late,
or they dealt with it directly. There were also concerns
that what was the point, What was the point of
telling the police nothing's going to happen. I would love
to know from retailers, at what point do you give

(01:43):
up caring? Forty percent of retail crimes not reported to police.
That's a hell of a lot. So when do you
reach the stage of simply shrugging your shoulders and say, oh,
what are you going to do about it? Have you
become so inured to retail crime, to abusive life language,

(02:06):
to people just putting something in their pocket or putting
something in their bag and walking out that you're like,
h well, you know another day. I remember Chris Quinn
from Foodstuffs when he was in and we were talking
about people walking out with trolleys full of groceries, and

(02:28):
I said, well, why don't you put in the measures
that people have told me about overseas where you scan
your receipt and then the gates open and your trolley
and you can walk out. If you don't have a receipt,
the gates don't open. Make it jolly hard to walk
out with a trolley full of groceries. Then he said, oh,
I just don't think the public could put up with that. Yeah,
we would, wouldn't we. I thought that was a really

(02:52):
defeatist attitude. He said. You know, the majority shouldn't be
punished for the minor, obviously, but I mean that is
the way society works. We have rules in legislation to
cater to the numpties and the low lives and the
student in the criminal I personally don't mind putting my

(03:15):
receipt to a scanner and having the gates open if
it means that some arrogant ass is prevented from walking
out with a trolley full of groceries and sticking two
fingers to us all, I really don't mind. It would
be minimal in terms of hassle in terms of hold up.

(03:39):
The same would be true of many retail security measures.
You know, it makes more sense to have security measures
in shops and supermarkets than it does at the airport.
You know, me taking my boots off does not help
us find the Malaysian Airlines plane that crashed. You know,

(04:02):
it makes more sense to me to be held up
slightly at the supermarket, ever so slightly, if it means
that people aren't getting away with it, they seem to
take great delight in it, and that's what annoys me.
We've got to have a zero tolerance policy to this
sort of retail crime, and that means you and I

(04:24):
have to be part of the solution. It's not just retailers,
it's not just police that are going to make a difference.
It's when you and I are willing to accept a
little bit of inconvenience to tell the toe rags and
the freeloaders and the criminals that up with this, we
will no longer put draw a line in the sand

(04:45):
and for once, let the good guys prevail.

Speaker 1 (04:48):
For more from carry Wood and Mornings, listen live to
News Talks a B from nine am weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.