Actress Amanda Palo told Helsingin Sanomat that she understands stealing from grocery stores in certain cases and therefore turns her eyes away. Helsinki grocers, on the other hand, urge people to report all thefts to the staff.
The people of Helsinki the shopkeepers at the grocery stores do not understand the actor Amanda Palon to the view of stealing.
Palo said in the HS story on Monday that he plans to look the other way if he sees someone stealing food from the store.
In addition, he said that he believes theft will increase due to the austerity policies of the right-wing government. Palo also said that he believes that the reason for stealing when forced to do so is not in the individual but in the structures of society.
Read more: Amanda Palo advises to look away if someone steals from the grocery store
K-Supermarket Viikki and K-Market Latokartano merchant Niklas Carlstedt tells HS that pinching is always reprehensible.
“We treat all pickpockets the same and act according to the law. A criminal report is filed for each case.”
On the same line is the shopkeeper of K-Supermarket Mustapekka, K-Market Pikkupekka and K-Market Pikkusisko Jouni Ekholm.
“Stealing is a criminal activity, and we comply with laws and regulations,” says Ekholm.
According to actress-writer Amanda Palo, stealing is acceptable in certain situations.
The attitude is also the same in S group stores. Head of SOK's risk management Janne Ahtoniemi answered HS's questions in writing.
“Pinching is not an acceptable act under any circumstances,” Ahtoniemi writes.
“Basically, we report all burglaries and thefts to the police.”
Some however, there are small exceptions in the line.
In all of merchant Carlstedt's snooping cases, the police are not always called to the scene, but the matter can also be handled with a private security company. In the case of small children, on the other hand, we try to handle the matter with the parents.
This is also the case in S group stores: if it is a particularly young first-timer, mediation can be used on a case-by-case basis.
But are there situations where stealing seems justified, for example because of hunger? Amanda Palo emphasized in her speech that, in her opinion, the majority of people who snack on food or essential foodstuffs do so out of necessity.
Throughout his career, Carlstedt has heard “maybe once or twice” that pinching is justified by compulsion or a bad financial situation. He has been a merchant for 20 years.
“Stealing is never the right way to solve a problem. In this situation, you have to start thinking about other w
ays to help people in the welfare state.”
Dealer Ekholm has also encountered situations where the reason for the pinch was a weak financial situation. However, according to him, it is important that all pickpockets are treated the same.
“We want to set an example for young people that stealing is never allowed. Our social responsibility includes raising young people in this matter,” says Ekholm.
He reminds that by stealing from the K store, you are stealing from the merchant.
“The goods on the shelves of k-stores are company-owned goods, not the property of the central store,” says Ekholm.
Merchants also point out that in practice, stolen products are often transferred to the prices of other products – and thus to be paid for by others.
The self-service cash registers of S-markets are also pinched. Photo of Tikkurila's S-market in March 2023.
HS has recently written several articles about shoplifting and the damage it causes to merchants.
Tradespeople have reported an increase in pickpocketing at self-service checkouts. K-Supermarket in Haaga has therefore had to increase supervision and limit self-service checkouts opening hours.
to HS's survey who answered, a working man in his thirties, said that he regularly steals products, because he can't manage otherwise in a family with children.
Triplan K-Supermarket dealer Petri Miettinen estimated in April that pinching at self-service checkouts has increased because people are tight on money.
Dealer Carlstedt doesn't start profiling pickpockets, because the group is diverse. Sometimes theft is done by youth gangs. The phenomenon has been the same for decades.
“In a group, stupidity condenses, maybe it belongs to a certain age. However, the majority of young people behave very smartly,” says Carlstedt.
According to S-group's analysis, shoplifting is committed by people of many ages and from different backgrounds. Age affects the products that can be stolen.
“For young people, the product to be nibbled on can be, for example, a chocolate bar or an energy drink, while for older people, it is more likely to be something else,” says Ahtoniemi.
of Carlstedt and shoplifting in Ekholm's shops has not increased recently, but is nevertheless a “significant problem that burdens the economy”.
The trade association made a report on theft losses in the trade sector in Finland based on data from 2022.
According to the report, the value of goods stolen from shops in Finland is half a billion euro
s per year, and another half a billion euros is spent on preventing theft.
“In addition to the trade, the big loser is the state, because the trade, for example, does not account for the VAT shares on the products that have been pinched. In addition, it causes a loss of corporate income tax, because nitpicking significantly reduces the profitability of companies,” says Ekholm.
According to Ahtoniemi, the number of shoplifting incidents in S Group stores has been steadily increasing in recent years. He also considers the resulting costs to be significant. He sees reasons in the social situation.
“Furthermore, in economically tight and uncertain times, the number of shoplifting increases even more,” says Ahtoniemi.
How about what should you do if you see someone stealing from a grocery store? Palo said he was looking away.
The answer from people in the trade is unequivocal. Thieves would not be turned away.
“I would bring the case to the attention of the staff. I also advise others to do so,” says Carlstedt.
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