A London upmarket organic grocery store is blaming its ‘entitled’ wealthy customers for stealing over $1.2 million worth of goods each year
Planet Organic says its “Posh Totty” customers are to blame for a rising shoplifting bill.Leon Neal/Getty Images
The health food retailer and Whole Foods rival Planet Organic has become the latest company to bemoan a rise in shoplifting at its stores. And in a trend that seems to be picking up steam, the group’s CEO is pointing the finger at the sketchy ethical code of its wealthy regulars.
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Protestors Gather at Wildberries Today Due to Viral Video of Employee Detaining Shoplifter
Protesters gathered today at Wildberries in Arcata. [Photo by Mark McKenna]
A group of protestors gathered at Wildberries marketplace, a popular grocery store in Arcata, this morning about 10 a.m. to protest what they say was an unnecessary physical response by one employee to the attempt by a minor to shoplift a container of milk.
Dev Campbell, A Cal Poly Studio Arts major on the right, holds a sign that aid Buy One Get Assaulted For free. [Photo by Mark McKenna]
A video began circling on social media three days ago after a post on Reddit of the video claimed that a “Manager of store violently assaults minor in broad daylight for stealing a small bottle of milk under $10.”
Demonstrators talk with a person leaving the parking lot of Wildberries Marketplace in Arcata on Saturday following leaked video of an alleged teenage shoplifter in an altercation with a store manager was posted on local media sites. [Photo by Mark McKenna]
The Lost Coast Outpost reported that the video was from last September and that the mother admitted that her daughter did shoplift.
A second video purporting to show the same employee with another alleged adult shoplifter “from over a year ago” can be found by clicking on the right arrow on this r/Humboldt Instagram post.
A protester walks to join the second group on the Northwest corner of the parking lot. [Photo by Mark McKenna]
Reddit also posted a leaked memo from Phil Ricord, the owner of Wildberries, to staff. In it, he states, “As a result of input from staff and management, shoplifting controls have been revised to eliminate potential physical confrontations.”
A post on the subReddit Humboldt shows a leaked memo from the owner of Wildberries to the employees.
According to California Law, a shopowner may detain a suspected shoplifter forcibly. “A merchant may detain a person for a reasonable time for the purpose of conducting an investigation in a reasonable manner whenever the merchant has probable cause to believe the person to be detained is attempting to unlawfully take or has unlawfully taken merchandise from the merchant’s premises.” A website by Shouse California Law Group states, “During a lawful detention, a merchant can: examine any items a person tried to take, and conduct a search.” https://www.shouselaw.com/ca/defense/laws/shopkeepers-privilege/
Protestors spoke with a person walking their dog who said they would head to the Arcata Co-op and not shop at Wildberries Marketplace on Saturday. [Photo by Mark McKenna]
We requested input from Wildberries, but management was unable to respond in time for this article.
