Shoplifting Gangs

[Big Jim]

A few weeks ago, I could not find any Sensor cartridges. All of the nearby stores that that usually carry them had empty spaces where they belonged. There were shortages in other cartridges as well.

Finally, I asked the store manager in one of the CVS stores I tried, and he told me there were shoplifter gangs that went through, emptying the shelves very quickly, defeating the usual ant-theft devices and alarms.

So I decided to try a Schick Quattro, which they did have a few.

I didn't think I would find any real benefit to using it, but I really like it. Cartridges easily last a full week, on par with or better than Sensors, and much better than the three shaves I get out of Fusions.

I also like the Quattro better than the Schick Hydro, even though a powered version isn't currently available. The Quattro is easier to handle, having a footprint about the same as the Sensor.

It seems like there was at least the three week period where I couldn't find Sensor cartridges. Gillette's inability to resupply in a timely manner has givein me a chance to find something I like better.

 

[Teppanyaki]

Shoplifting gangs going after cartridge refills?! I swear, thieves seem to be getting more inventive and/or desperate every time I turn around.

I wonder why it seems like humanity's inherent goodness (or lack thereof) keeps declining. Is it a false perception, or a reflection of reality in that many people are getting more desperate/less honorable?

 

[UnCL3]

Shoplifting gangs going after cartridge refills?! I swear, thieves seem to be getting more inventive and/or desperate every time I turn around.

I wonder why it seems like humanity's inherent goodness (or lack thereof) keeps declining. Is it a false perception, or a reflection of reality in that many people are getting more desperate/less honorable?

I could explain why that is (at least my opinion)...you are correct, people value THINGS, and not morals, honor, etc. This has been in steady decline since the mid 60's. Why? That is something for another thread, I believe.

 

[dpm802]

It seems like there was at least the three week period where I couldn't find Sensor cartridges. Gillette's inability to resupply in a timely manner has givein me a chance to find something I like better.

Three weeks is not an unusual amount of time to refill the shelves in retail. At my store, it normally takes four weeks from the time we place an order until the merchandise arrives from the warehouse. And that's for regular, predictable refills. Having stock wiped out by an organized shoplifting ring can only slow things down.

And its not Gillette's fault. The stores get their inventory from a centralized warehouse, not straight from the manufacturer.

 

[dpm802]

I'm wondering, once these cartridges get stolen, they have to go somewhere to make some money. Where and how do they wind up on the black market? Are they hustled out of the trunk of somebody's car? Sold to a mom-n-pop bodega? Auctioned off from an internet marketplace? Sent overseas to third-world countries?

 

[cb91710]

Shoplifting gangs going after cartridge refills?! I swear, thieves seem to be getting more inventive and/or desperate every time I turn around.

I wonder why it seems like humanity's inherent goodness (or lack thereof) keeps declining. Is it a false perception, or a reflection of reality in that many people are getting more desperate/less honorable?

'Tis the season.

The lifted carts are untraceable, and small, inexpensive items that move quickly and don't draw a lot of attention at swap meets.
Hit up some of the Community College swap meets like Cypress and Goldenwest and I'm sure you'll find plenty of carts in stock.

And don't be so quick to blame Gillette for the shortages. Chain stores order from their warehouses, which in turn order from the regional distributor (who supplies the mom 'n pop shops as well), who in turn orders from P&G.
It takes 3-7 days for a store to have its stock replenished from the company warehouse. A sudden increase in demand won't be recognized at the corporate warehouse level for at least a week, and once they are out of stock, it could be 2 months before stock is replenished, as they simply have standing orders and unexpected demand takes a human being to recognize and correct.

I worked MRP for Douglas on the MD80 after I left retail... it was hard enough scheduling parts for an airplane. I can't imagine the issues supplying a CVS chain!

 

[dpm802]

I once worked for RadioShack, and one day our store was hit by a shoplifting gang. These were about a dozen kids, aged from 10yo to the oldest that was probably not more than 14. They came in one afternoon, around the Xmas holiday time, and they grabbed every battery in sight. They also opened up all the Remote Control cars on the floor and took those rechargeable batteries, too. It was all over in about 30 seconds. Then they ran out the door and scattered in different directions.

When we did a rough count, they had gotten over $500 worth of batteries. We refilled the displays from what we had in the back room, and called neighboring stores to get some stock from them, and warn them about what to watch out for.

Then the manager sat in the back all afternoon doing the insurance paperwork and filling out police reports.

As far as I know, they never did catch those kids, but we had a neat story to tell at the next district meeting.

 

[Toothpick]

Well sounds like you got to try something new and was quite pleased with it. That's one good thing at least.

Three weeks is not an unusual amount of time to refill the shelves in retail. At my store, it normally takes four weeks from the time we place an order until the merchandise arrives from the warehouse. And that's for regular, predictable refills. Having stock wiped out by an organized shoplifting ring can only slow things down.

And its not Gillette's fault. The stores get their inventory from a centralized warehouse, not straight from the manufacturer.

Most retailers now days don't even place orders. It is all controlled automatically. When I worked for OfficeMax & Office Depot we never knew what was coming in until a couple days before it got there when we could view the paperwork online.

Cartridges have been targeted for years now. Ever since they went up price. I used to buy sensors and watched them go from being freely available, to being locked behind a desk, to being behind a glass case, then on specialized peg hooks that needed a key. Same with ink cartridges.

I remember when you could buy gift cards with a gift card. Meaning someone could come in to my store and steal a ton of crap, return it all without a receipt so the refund goes back on a gift card and then turn around and buy Visa or Mastercard logo gift cards and go use them anywhere Visa or Mastercard is accepted.
Corp. finally wised up and put the axe on that. I loved those "manager to the front" calls to explain you can't buy a gift card with a gift card anymore.

The reality is if someone wants to steal something you can't stop them. That's why everything retailers use is called "theft deterrents"

 

[SantoSubito]

When I was at OU getting your hands on cheap cartridges wasn't a problem as long as you were unscrupulous (or just plain old naive). They aren't even particularly hard to steal here, the only store that has them behind any kind of barrier is Walgreens, at Wal-Mart they're just hanging on pegs, and even then they just put the magnetic alarm strip on the top dollar Fusion carts.

 

[jovan]

Thanks for the info. I was in LA this week traveling and needed carts (long story on my DE razor) so I went to Rite Aid, 5 stores later finally found them but took the clerk nearly 30 mins to get the anti theft device off. Now I understand what happened.

 

[zygalski]

Shoplifting gangs going after cartridge refills?! I swear, thieves seem to be getting more inventive and/or desperate every time I turn around...

Supermarkets here in the UK had big problems for years with people clearing shelves of expensive Gillette carts, then presumably selling them on ebay. Now they are placed inside large clear plastic cases which are about 4 times the size of the cart package, which have to be opened at the register or they set off an alarm at the entrance to the store.

 

[weizemanner]

Since I was in school, the minimum wage went up by 50%. It was 4.50ish now its 9.19.

The price of a can from the soda machine went from .25 or less to .75-1.00
The price of gas went from .99 or less to $3-4,
A car that drives could be had for 1000, now a bicycle that barely rides can be had for 1000 or more, a car that doesn't start sells for 2000-3000
Milk is 4 dollars per gallon now.

That has happened every ten years or so. Cost triples or more. I see prices rise every day. Min wage is going up 13c this new year. If this trend continues, In 10 years my kids will be making 10.50 an hour and a can of coke will cost $2.25, A gallon of gas 9-10 bucks, My grandkids will have to work for an hour at minimum wage to buy a can of soda... Work all day to buy a gallon of milk.

That's if you are lucky enough to get a minimum wage job. Over a third of fast food workers have college degrees. Some mcdonalds now require bachelor's degrees for their cashiers... If you want to have one of those "pay the bills and raise a family" wages, better start working on that phd.

So yeah, expect theft to continue to rise as the population gets poor.

As for the schicks, I agree, not a huge difference, but better. I use the current schick injector blades at work, I hear great things about the schick DE blades, and I prefer the schick cartridges to the gillette any day.

 

[Herd]

That's if you are lucky enough to get a minimum wage job. Over a third of fast food workers have college degrees. Some mcdonalds now require bachelor's degrees for their cashiers... If you want to have one of those "pay the bills and raise a family" wages, better start working on that phd.

So yeah, expect theft to continue to rise as the population gets poor.

When I was a kid in the 50's the Cop's would shoot you if you if you ran and use the Hickory Billy Club on you if you smarted off. And when they caught you stealing they put you in Juvey Hall or Jail, not this "He's just a Kid" stuff today. We had crime then but most kids stayed clean because there were consequences!! Not this not worth persecuting or he's from a troubled home stuff today, they now learn that nothing will happen even if caught so what do you expect!!

 

[Cash_Stronomer]

I realize how expensive the bloody things are, but as opposed to 'lifting' a handful of the things, my instinct (like yours) is to just shop around a bit for a cheaper alternative. I'm a little curious about the Quattro now, as I've used Sensor for how ever many years it's been around.

 

[Dr_Strangelove]

I'm wondering, once these cartridges get stolen, they have to go somewhere to make some money. Where and how do they wind up on the black market? Are they hustled out of the trunk of somebody's car? Sold to a mom-n-pop bodega? Auctioned off from an internet marketplace? Sent overseas to third-world countries?

Flea Markets, Craiglist, Ebay, etc. We have a huge regional fleamarket just outside Athens, GA. Non-serialized retail goods like blades are a mainstay there. Think about it, some of the cartridge packs are approaching $50.00 now.

I worked in a Verizon Wireless store in SW FL, we had a huge problem with Gypsies (Yes, real ones) who would come in 8-12 at a time in a family group, one or two would cause a distraction, and the kids would clean the racks out. I'm talking 5 or or six year olds to 12 year olds. It happened all over town.

 

[Miesterio]

When I was a kid in the 50's the Cop's would shoot you if you if you ran and use the Hickory Billy Club on you if you smarted off. And when they caught you stealing they put you in Juvey Hall or Jail, not this "He's just a Kid" stuff today. We had crime then but most kids stayed clean because there were consequences!! Not this not worth persecuting or he's from a troubled home stuff today, they now learn that nothing will happen even if caught so what do you expect!!

Amen.

 

[one cut]

the most commonly lifted Items are
Cigarettes

2.razors have ranked among the top shoplifted items in the world since at least 2003. Only men's razors seem to be targeted, though.

3. Tide detergent

http://nymag.com/news/features/tide-detergent-drugs-2013-1/index1.html

also on the list
Medicine including Diabetic Testing Strips and Pain Relievers.
Jeans
Vacuums

 

[Boaz]

I am in the Police and have experience of shoplifters targeting Champagne, Malt Whisky which the sell for half the RRP then at the other end of the scale Coffee, packs of Bacon and deodorant.

They are very inventive at getting past security measures.

Cheers.

 

[saltypaws]

Yeah, as odd as it sounds at first blush, I've been told by a few people working in supermarkets that razor blades are some of the most commonly, if not the most commonly, shoplifted items (at least in the UK).

Most supermarkets in the UK keep cartridges in sealed plastic boxes that need to be opened and un-tagged by staff at point of sale. In smaller shops, they are often only kept behind the counter.

I'm fascinating, I know...

 

[Quintero]

I investigate organized retail crime as part of my job. Many of the larger retailers are hit by shoplift rings, who will then "launder" the product through larger and larger distribution centers, until the retailers eventually end up buying back their own inventory. Carts are high targets due to their price point, size and ease of resale.