Formula Thief

[purplecat41877]

Yesterday, I found out that someone had stolen a bunch of baby formula before I started work. The assistant store director had me ring up the cans of baby formula. I didn't pay attention to what the total was but I'm guessing that it was a large amount. I mainly focused on making sure I didn't miss a can.

My service desk coworker mentioned that it was really busy when the formula was stolen. I made a guess that the thief probably planned it and my service desk coworker mentioned that the thief probably had an idea of when the store would be busy and took advantage of the situation.

[NimrodJess]

When I worked for CorporateHellMart, we used to get people who were REALLY creative about stealing formula. They'd come up with the stupidest stuff, like putting 5 extra cans in their diaper bag, putting it under the cart with a coat or something over it, and even just laying it in the infant car seat, hoping I didn't look at babies or something.

[mattm04]

We had a lady just walk in go to the formula section and grab a few and walk out and yell "stop me c***s" as she walked out. A Police report was filed. They came back the next day to do some shopping and LP saw them come back. They called the Police. The cops walked up to them in the store while shopping and cuffed the mother. They found some more cans hidden in the diaper bag after the arrest.

[BaristaTrav]

Not that I condone theft of any kind.. but at least it was for baby formula and not beer or cigarettes, which are the much more popular items for larceny.

[MTNLaurelPoacher]

Baby formula is expensive and resellable. It is also compact and not locked up. A good target for theft.

[siead_lietrathua]

Not that I condone theft of any kind.. but at least it was for baby formula and not beer or cigarettes, which are the much more popular items for larceny.

baby formula can turn a neat profit on the side, when is used to cut coke and heroin.

[Bradester]

baby formula can turn a neat profit on the side, when is used to cut coke and heroin.

Wow. The things I learn on this website.

[Samaliel]

Not that I condone theft of any kind.. but at least it was for baby formula and not beer or cigarettes, which are the much more popular items for larceny.

Last I heard, around here, items that are most likely to be stolen from a supermarket were, in that order :
- razor blades
- women underwear
- booze
- CD / DVD
- baby formula

[Nephy]

We have our baby formula locked up. People get really pissy when they have to track someone down to unlock it (no one ever sees the button to push to get us to come to them). Usually the same people that can't possibly fathom why we lock up the formula are the same ones that complain about the price.

Half the time I wish we could lock up everything in the store. We get the stupiest stuff stolen. Yesterday I found a package for one of the Energizer 'Engeri to go' for Ipods, with just the batteries stolen out of it. Just steal the whole damn thing, instead of making my head hurt!

[SorryIsGoodEnough]

The other day, after I had counted my money and discovered I had -$50 for groceries (NEGATIVE FIFTY DOLLARS) after bills, I went to the store and stood staring at the formula for about ten minutes. I'm sure the people thought I wanted to steal it or something, and I wish I didn't have a sense of morality so I could have, but I bought it.

I guess my cell phone bill isn't getting paid this month. :P

[Jay 2K Winger]

Ohhh, stealing razors... that happened at my store a couple of weeks ago. Our front door LP guy got caught by one of those "look the other way" traps, wherein the accomplice leads him outside, asking for directions to wherever, and while he's doing that, two guys walk out the door with TWO CARTLOADS of razor blades and disposables.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

We have our baby formula locked up as well . . . it's located inside a section of the kiosk on the front end. Anyone who needs it has to go through the register.

Reason being is that before the formula was put behind the kiosk, several stores in our area had major losses in that category. Not only can it be used to cut drugs, but we have some questionable vendors at the local flea market who will sell stuff that clearly came from area grocery and/or drug stores. I've heard of shoplifters loading up a buggy full of formula and making a dash for the doors.

Want expired formula or Tylenol? Go to the flea market. You'll find it . . . and I guarantee you most (if not all) of it is hot.

Not only do people shoplift this stuff to sell, they also prowl through the dumpsters (which is how they get hold of the private label stuff b/c it can't be sent back to the Reclamation Center.) Which is why we have the doors welded shut on the dumpsters . . .

The more creative ones will have a ladder to climb inside with . . . but then I'm straying off topic.

Razors are another item that gets stolen quite a bit . . . I've had to limit what goes out now to 2 packs of any kind, unless it's on our Top 50 list (and the Top 50 shrink items are kept behind the kiosk and the customer has to get a card off the shelf if they want to purchase the item.)

Seems as if the regular double-edged PAL blades are a hot item for theft (yet they aren't on the Corporate Top 50.)

And an interesting note: Trojan Magnums are another hot item for my store. I have to put out only 1 pack at a time because I don't want any more stolen for the day.

Or maybe our shoplifters are getting smarter now and instead of stealing for the baby, they're now stealing so they won't have any babies.

[anotherroundplease]

Best boss ever- when someone went to buy trojan Magnums, they would ring up 'you wish'. I miss him.

[KellyHabersham]

Speaking of stealing baby formula, for the brief time that my daughter was on W.I.C. (this was back in the late 90's), whenever I had a draft check for baby formula, I had to go to the customer service desk to get it - apparently there was so much of an issue with theft that they just started keeping the formula there.

[purplecat41877]

Where I work, razors are kept behind the service desk. Same goes for film and disposable cameras.