Kmart worker slaps down alleged thieves in dramatic carpark confrontation
Two Aussies thought they got away with a huge haul, until a fed-up staffer took serious umbrage with their brazen actions.
A exasperated Kmart worker is being lauded for her bravery after intercepting two alleged thieves accused of brazenly stripping shelves bare and attempting to make off with a huge trolley of goods.
Footage captured outside a Munno Para shopping centre, in Adelaide's north, shows the fed-up employee run outside the store, chase the duo to their car and demand they return the overflowing trolley of allegedly stolen products.
In the vision, shoeboxes, homewares, kitchen appliances and clothing can all be seen stacked into the trolley, with a woman attempting to pack the items into her car before the staffer confronts her.
'Enough is enough', employee warns
"You can tell everyone that comes and steals: enough's enough!" the frustrated worker screams at the pair, as they reluctantly hand back the trolley.
Eventually, the goods were returned to Kmart, though it remains unclear whether they were able to make off with any unpaid items. It's also unknown whether the pair now face any charges.
The incident comes as major retailers all over the country report unprecedented levels of theft, with some stores now resorting to drastic measures to combat the trend.
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Unprecedented theft levels rock nation's retailers
Coles this year announced 20 per cent stock losses from shoplifting (and food waste) as it revealed a $1.1b profit, while competitor Woolworths estimated theft made up a quarter of stock loss when it revealed its $1.6b profit.
A rather alarming recent study from Monash Business School’s Australian Consumer and Retail Studies (ACRS) group found that more than a quarter of respondents thought retail theft was either a little, somewhat, very or completely justifiable, with self-serve checkouts skewing toward being more acceptable.
In response Australian retailers have introduced a raft of new measures, including artificial intelligence and high-tech cameras at self-serve checkouts, and gates that won’t open if sensors deem you’ve stolen — much to the chagrin of innocent shoppers caught in the push.
Speaking anonymously, those who admitted to stealing pointed to Australia's crippling cost of living crisis as the main major factor behind the crime, with the Australian Retail Association claiming the “steady increase” in shoplifting is costing the country more than $9 billion a year.
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