SHOPLIFTING SOHO
Stealing the Luxury Brands, Why is it so Easy?
As retail stores have opened back up and invited clients back in, much-needed sales have brought many brands (as well as the neighborhoods they’re in) back to life. However, this has also caused another epidemic of sorts: shoplifting. And this time around, it’s been markedly more aggressive and widespread. Currently, no other shopping district seems to experience this more than New York City’s SoHo neighborhood. Incidents of theft in SoHo have skyrocketed over the last couple of months, and as much as stores try to beef up security, the shoplifters are sadly good at their jobs, too.
The pattern began back in late May with the George Floyd riots that led to mass looting. High-end brand Celine’s SoHo location was looted of $1.5 million in merchandise alone and only reopened its doors in late September. Then, to add insult to injury, they were hit yet again barely a week after reopening when a group of thieves managed to swipe nearly an entire shelf’s worth of handbags worth “more than $37,000,” according to an NYPD source.
Although the problem is nowhere near May’s looting level, brazen thievery has continued to affect SoHo stores on a near-daily basis. One significant factor making the problem worse: stores have practically no power to stop shoplifting directly while it’s occurring, much less after.
It’s well known in the retail world to never directly accuse someone of shoplifting due to the possibility of lawsuits. Instead, “recovery statements” are used (however ineffective they may be), such as, “We have a great wallet to match that handbag you’ve selected.” It lets potential thieves know that employees are aware that they’ve concealed an item while not directly accusing them of a crime. Shoplifters have capitalized on this indirect method, mainly because racial discrimination is such a hot-button issue right now. The last thing a store wants to be accused of is racial profiling, and in the age of near-instantly viral videos, many brands advise employees to walk away.
Another problem and significant reason for repeated occurrences is the lack of major consequences if a shoplifter is caught and arrested. A popular high-end British retail manager, who prefers to be named only as S.W., highlighted this problem. “The worst part of these frequent aggressive thieves is when they get arrested, they only go to jail for two days and then are released without bail like nothing happened,” she said. “No consequences whatsoever!”
In the eyes of a thief, the payoff probably outweighs this sort of outcome. Moreover, if shoplifting is successful, it only increases the chance that other thieves will return since shoplifting rings are in constant communication (remember, they’re good at what they do, too). No one knows this better than Moncler’s SoHo boutique, which was hit twice on October 1. In the first incident, two individuals grabbed nearly two dozen down jackets, and probably a test to see what they could get away with. According to the NYPD source, only hours later, a larger group of 16 to 20 people (including a lookout, according to reports) returned and snatched “more than $50,000” in merchandise. Store employees managed to snap pictures of the getaway cars – a white Jaguar and black Audi (interestingly enough, a black Audi was also the getaway car for the Celine incident).
Store Directors throughout the SoHo neighborhood are now in constant contact as the problem continues to affect stores. A group WhatsApp chat is in use so that stores can instantly broadcast when they’ve been hit. Security camera footage and/or pictures of getaway vehicles are often included, which helps surrounding stores know what and who to look for. It’s a useful tool in a time when there aren’t many options. After three months of lockdown, stores are barely surviving. Until increased police presence becomes the norm in NYC’s SoHo neighborhood, shoplifting will continue to kill stores’ chances for survival.
