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Supermarkets are rolling out high tech to catch shoplifters as cost-of-living pressures bite – ABC News


John-Paul Drake poses several sarcastic questions on his Instagram page like this one: “Does this Customer Magician have the world’s whitest teeth? I’d really like to find out.”

The director of Drakes Supermarkets appears in front of the CCTV footage taken at one of their stores in Adelaide showing an individual wearing a mask stuffing tubes of toothpaste into his backpack and pockets.

John-Paul narrates on the Instagram post, showing footage of the individual leaving the store without paying: “You can’t just walk out, I think you’ve got to pay for those things in your pocket…Or are you just happy to be shopping at Drakes?”

The supermarket boss’s narration continues: “Well, this isn’t shopping. This is a magic show we want to stop.”

“Magician” is the term John-Paul uses for the various individuals he’s released CCTV footage of on social media in recent months, before calling on the public to provide details so that he can pass it on to the police.

Crime is happening at the same time cost-of-living pressures have put more Australians under financial stress, and it comes as major supermarkets including Coles and Woolworths are reporting record profits and margins, driven largely by higher prices.

John-Paul says social media has proved a very successful tactic helping catch the “magicians”.

“We are seeing an 80 per cent conviction rate once they (the vision of these individuals) have been released onto the Instagram page,” he says.

“Within five to 10 minutes we’ll have details of their Facebook accounts, and where they live, from people that have seen these people cruising the streets and happy to give up their information.”

John-Paul Drake standing in his store with local police called to help fight theft in his Adelaide stores.(Supplied.)

Alleged offenders get logged into a system monitored by police, so that when it comes to prosecuting alleged crimes, all incidents spanning over weeks or months are considered.

John-Paul says over the past year there’s been a 236 per cent increase in shoplifting costing the business about $10 million.

He says cost-of-living pressures are playing a part in the increase in theft, but also points out that those stealing are often serial offenders, and some are involved with organised crime gangs. 

“We are not talking about someone coming to take some economy beef or some bread to feed their family,” he says.

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John-Paul Drake says the items taken are typically sold to local clubs and on social media marketplaces.

“We’ve been told with our relationship from the police, that they are organised gangs,” he says.

“But we’ve also been told that this is people that are using this money to buy drugs, or to supply restaurants with meat that has come from our supermarkets.”

‘A profitable business for organised crime gangs’

Drakes Supermarkets is not the only retailer seeing a wave of crime in recent months.



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