Many Halifax stores worried about shoplifting amid holiday rush

Holiday shopping has arrived and with it comes holiday shoplifting. According to Sue Uteck, executive director of Spring Garden Area Business Association, they are taking precautions as holiday shopping picks up.

"We're going to start publishing some pictures of repeat offenders that would be out in the public and we are going to send it around to our merchants. We've kind of had enough, and I know the downtown and all retail areas have had enough,” says Uteck.

It’s a problem that doesn't seem to be improving.

According to a Statistics Canada report earlier in the year, Nova Scotia has the highest shoplifting rates among Canada's provinces. Halifax Regional Police says those numbers rise during the holiday season.

The Retail Council of Canada says retail theft has been on the rise since the pandemic.

"Since the pandemic the numbers have gone through the roof, to put it mildly, when it comes to retail theft,” says Jim Cormier, Retail Council of Canada Atlantic director.

Possible driving factors could be the resale market and inflation.

"It depends on the criminal. It depends on what they think they can resell really quickly. So, of course, obviously, over the last few years with food inflation, food, certain types are a bit easier to sell than others. Electronics, jewelry, perfumes and colognes have often been items where people feel they can easily steal and resell,” says Cormier. “Criminals, if they find there is an opportunity, they will sell just about anything. It makes it difficult because you can't lock down everything because it makes it difficult to sell.”

Cormier says this is a crucial season for businesses and shoplifting has quite the impact on them.

“So many of them, small to mid businesses, they do almost 50 per cent of their sales just in the last month, month-and-a-half of the year. It's a crucial time for them during a difficult economic time. Having to deal with retail crime on top of that, it's really difficult for them,” adds Cormier.

As for security presence on streets like Spring Garden, Uteck says some stores have their own.

“Others you need to be buzzed in and, you know, more I would say small businesses are having to have more staff on hand,” says Uteck.

According to police, it's not just stores experiencing theft right now.

"What we are seeing is thefts from motor vehicles where people are leaving their purchases in their vehicles after shopping at the mall,” says Const. Martin Cromwell, Halifax Regional Police public information officer.

Uteck advises retailers to be vigilant this holiday season.

"If someone is acting or looking suspicious, there is probably a theft in action or if a group arrives and someone is trying to distract you, it means it's free for the other customers to go so just be vigilant in your stores,” Uteck says.

Police say if a retail store falls victim to a theft, they should report the incident to them for further investigation and share the incident with other stores to try to prevent future cases.