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Goico said his stores have been plagued with shoplifters and estimates that 6% to 7% of his bottom line has disappeared because of it since March. Before COVID-19, he said he’d typically lose about 1% to shoplifters.

Reporting from California:

An (Oakland) Safeway this afternoon, was busy with shoppers. Most had grocery carts which they filled and stood in line with at the checkout counter.

There were a couple of shoppers, maybe two or three, who seemed to be roaming around the store with no grocery carts at all. They weren't even holding items in their hands to take to the checkout counter. They'd be in one aisle, then another. You'd think that someone without a basket or cart would have something in hand to take to the cashier, maybe a bottle of soda or some cookies, etc. but these guys were empty-handed.

As I was leaving the checkout stand with my cart full of bags, a woman waiting for the cashier one line over exclaimed, "Hey, look at him! He took all that stuff and left!" Apparently there was one guy who had scooped up a bunch of stuff off a shelf, into a plastic bag, and promptly left. No one went after him, no manager, no store security. I think this shoplifter's MO was to use a shelf in the store as his "cart" and take items to the shelf surreptitiously, then at an opportune moment remove the plastic bag (trash bag?) from his pocket, scoop the items in, and speed out.

Same story in the affluent Seattle suburbs, which are 95% white and Asian.

Store Security at QFC calls the cops, but QFC will not touch Black shoplifters, and they follow Black thieves - at a safe distance - only to the edge of the store property line.

About 6 months ago at Safeway, a Hispanic man tried to steal a big plastic jug of vodka. Security followed him to the door saying, “Drop it. Drop it.”

At the door, two Security guys blocked his way, moving left and right in tandem with the perp. Apparently, if the perp touches the Security guys, the crime elevates to an aggravated felony. The perp finally dropped the vodka, Security stepped aside, and the perp just walked away.

Same Safeway store, about a month ago, a Black guy no one recognized walked in and punched a white female cashier in the face, then just walked out. I had my back turned in the self-check out area, and when people started shouting the perp was already out the door.

According to the cashier, the Black guy said, “You know what it feels like to be afraid, bitch?” before he punched her.