Yesterday, I was cleaning up my email after being out of town for a while and I came across a couple strange WalMart thefts and got the idea that I wanted to do a wrap up of some ridiculous shop lifting stories that come out of WalMart. This encompasses the absurdity of the industry we have found ourselves in. Thieves of WalMart.
Internal theft and shoplifting is number one on most retailers list of issues and concerns. It’s estimated to cost US businesses upwards of $50 billion per year, not to mention the higher prices we’re all paying to compensate for that loss. There are a plethora of sites out there that focus on loss prevention and asset protection and it’s no surprise that WalMart is featured in one of their theft articles at least once a week. Because let’s face it, as a general rule of thumb, WalMart is like a train wreck. You know you shouldn’t be so engrossed in the disaster unfolding in front of you, but you just can’t stop watching.
There will always be the electronic thieves stealing 47 iPhones, tablets, TVs, and what have you. Unfortunately, these thefts are so common I don’t typically finish the story. Then there are Thieves of WalMart, they aren’t stealing TVs, or DVDs, or even Apple products.
There’s this guy: accused of stealing 91 cases of DEODORANT. Or, this woman who is facing felony theft charges for stealing Oreos and then admitting to stealing tons of snacks over her four year WalMart career. Then let’s head to New Jersey, where two men are facing felony theft charges for stealing used cardboard. Just once I want someone to answer the question: What made you think to steal cardboard?! They stole used and bundled cardboard then were selling it for about $125 per TON. That’s a nice little chunk of change but how long does it take to accumulate a TON of cardboard?!
I did a post a while back about strange thefts (chicken wings and tide anyone?) but I thought those were isolated incidents of unusual circumstances…. Apparently not. I can’t begin to explain the rationale behind stealing deodorant, or risking my job for Oreos, but maybe I’m a prude. What are your strangest theft and shrinkage stories?
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Try to get some info on a theft in May of 1988 or about that time. There was an assistant manger that worked at the Oklahoma City Wal-Mart which was the biggest one in the country at the time. He was stealing merchandise out of the trailers out behind the store at night and letting the people that ran the flea markets in OKC to help themselves. His name was Jay and can’t remember his last name. He ratted out the other guys and got out of prison and 7 yrs probation for the theft. You should look that one up and write about it. Please contact me if you get any info on it. Thank you!