With the cost of living crisis (although some call it the cost of greed crisis), it is no wonder that millions are desperate and crime levels are shooting up. And it is no wonder that parents are ensuring that their children’s needs are put above the law, especially when they are desperate.
Hence, in Tower Hamlets, one item is moving off the shelves quicker than others without a visit to the till.
Across the country, the top 12 are, according to multiple sources:
1 Packed Meat
This category includes the likes of steak, lamb and bacon stolen by shoplifters in supermarkets. These meats are often both expensive and in high demand, so enterprising thieves may try to fence them in a variety of ways, such as by selling them from door-to-door or even in pubs and clubs.
2 Razor Blades
Razor blades may also make an easy target for thieves as they are: i) easy to smuggle under clothes due to the small size of the item and ii) expensive and in regular demand.
3 Alcohol
Although any alcoholic product may catch the eyes of criminals, particularly popular items are more expensive alcohols such as Prosecco, Whisky, Champagne, and Gin. These items are often available to sell to a ready market that may want to stock up on expensive drinks at a cheaper price.
4 Beauty Cosmetics
These include the likes of make-up and lipsticks and are often stolen either for personal use or to gift others at seasonal times such as birthdays or Christmas. Also, as they are usually small, they can easily be tucked away in pockets and backpacks, etc.
5 Cheese
Perhaps a more unusual item to steal, as of 2009, cheese was the most stolen supermarket item throughout the UK and Europe. Research suggests it may be stolen for its resale value, but with the recent cost of living crisis, many people may be stealing the product out of desperation.
6 Branded Deodorants
Under-arm deodorants are often popular and may be a particularly easy bulk theft for shoplifters by sweeping a fixture with a forearm to steal multiple products at once.
7 Batteries
The market for batteries will always remain lucrative, as many electronics throughout homes require them, and being particularly in small packets, also makes them very easy pickings for thieves.
8 Clothing Accessories
Included in this category are the likes of scarves, handbags, purses, and gloves. Although some of these items may be particularly hard to steal due to their size, fashionable accessories will always have a ready market.
9 Coffee
You may also think this coffee is particularly unusual for a supermarket theft, but being relatively expensive, this item is popular for resale and always in regular demand, whereas it’s counterpart, regularly packeted tea, is often cheap and not worth the risk for thieves to steal.
10 Baby Clothes
Perhaps more upsetting is that many may turn to stealing baby clothes out of desperation to keep their children warm, but for professional thieves, baby clothing is a huge potential market for growing babies that regularly need larger and multiple sets of clothes.
11 Jeans
These items are often stolen in bulk due to the ease of selling them, and they remain popular due to their widespread fashion appeal.
12 Perfume & Fragrance
Unsecured perfumes and fragrances are also an easy pick for career thieves, with the products being relatively small yet fetching a large price tag on the market.
Other common items that are stolen include, but are not limited to small electronic goods and accessories, sports fashion items, and box sets of DVDs and games.
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