Part of the reason why theft is so rampant these days is because many shoplifters understand there is low risk and punishment in doing it.
Dollar stores, like Dollar Tree, are one of such retailer where shoplifters know the likelihood of getting caught and prosecuted is minimal.
Simply put, there are many holes in their security measures but they take an active role in preventing theft. This article will layout Dollar Tree’s shoplifting policy. Unfortunately, transparency in any regard to this by the corporate office is practically non-existent. However, many online accounts, media articles, and forum discussions give us clues as to what’s covered and more.
What We Know about Dollar Tree’s Shoplifting Policy
The contact form on Dollar Tree’s website lags in a spam-like way and is questionable. So, we found their customer care email address on a completely different website. Unfortunately, they have yet to respond to our inquiry about their shoplifting policy.
When you peruse the website, there’s nothing that indicates or discusses what their official shoplifting policy is.
Therefore, we’ve had to investigate other means of obtaining this information. Several online articles, videos, and personal accounts detail some of what Dollar Tree’s policy is.
Security Guards & Other Anti-Theft Systems
Many locations have surveillance cameras and other anti-theft systems in place. However, per several previous employee admissions, the only time they look at footage is when a robbery or major crime occurs. Other than that, employees overlook most petty theft.
Not every location has active security guards either. If there’s a particular store with a history of heavy shoplifting and other egregious crimes, they may employ an off-duty police officer or hire a security guard from a third-party. Dollar Tree seems to be placing security guards at more locations.
So, it does appear that Dollar Tree tries to prevent shoplifting to some degree or another. But it’s not an equal practice at all their locations.
Many managers and previous employees attest to the vapid shoplifting that occurs. At least once per day, someone is stealing something from a Dollar Tree at each one of their stores.
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Instances of Employee & Customer Intervention
There are some instances, however, when employees, shoppers, and security guards try to intervene. If you perform a simple search on places like Instagram, Youtube, and other video sharing platforms, there are plenty of these interactions.
Security Guard Footage
One video shows a security guard catching a man as he makes a dash for the door. The armed personnel brings the shoplifter back inside.
He proceeds to dump two shopping bags and his pockets full of what looks like over-the-counter medications and personal care products.
Employee Intervention
Another video, in two parts, shows how a typical employee is standing up to one of their habitual shoplifters, preventing him from coming into the store. One commenter on the video notes how the standoff looks something like a fight scene that comes straight out of Dragonball Z.
Heroic Customers
And yet an additional video shows a mob of customers intervening with a shoplifter at a Dollar Tree in Charlotte, North Carolina. In it, several people attempt to wrestle a bag of stolen goods from a male shoplifter.
One man attempts to wrestle the offender to the ground while a young girl stands in his way, yanking on the bag.
Unfortunately, it appears the criminal got away with the goods regardless of their heroic efforts. At one point toward the end, you can hear one of the customers tell the group to let him go.
Why Shoplifting Is on the Rise
Indeed, these scenes are comical in their way but also heartbreaking. The sheer number of accounts is astounding. You could watch these kinds of clips for days and there would still be many hours more to see. But why is this happening so much?
There are several contributing factors as to why people are stealing from Dollar Tree more so than at other discount and dollar stores.
First, the prices are low to begin with. So, people don’t think of it in terms of committing a crime because some items are just so cheap.
No Security Measures & Lack of Morals
Also, without active security systems, there’s less for shoplifters to do before they make off with the goods. This makes for a very convenient snatch-n-grab.
What’s more, most people don’t care or think about the ripple effects and repercussions as a result of their theft.
Indeed, many people completely down on their financial luck find it okay to steal from Dollar Tree or commit shoplifting in general.
There is a plethora of accounts on public forums like Reddit and Quora with an alarming number of people discussing their shoplifting crimes.
Some of these are specific to Dollar Tree. Most of them have no shame and some even admit they’d do it again if they had to.
It just speaks to the low moral character combined with utter desperation plaguing many people throughout the country.
Security Holes
Additionally, security tags are not a common practice and there’s no real monitoring or surveillance other than the cameras.
This means the cameras, although useful when serious situations happen, are nothing more than window dressing in the hopes of deterring theft.
If a particular shoplifter is aware of the security layout of any given store, then they can make off like a bandit. This isn’t difficult to do either, especially if the offender is a previous employee.
Dollar Tree’s Future Plans to Deter Theft
Aside from installing more cameras and armed security guards, Dollar Tree is reconsidering the way they handle and deter theft at their stores.
Because they are a prime target for many shoplifters, being the proverbial low-hanging fruit, it’s costing the retailer billions of dollars.
First, they’re going to raise the prices of their merchandise to account for the debt they’ve incurred. This should help to some degree.
However, this means honest-paying customers will have to pay more for items just to cover the company’s losses and costs.
Other Security Solutions
They are also thinking about getting rid of quick consumables and easily-pocketed items from their stores altogether.
This would include things like bubble gum, candy, loose socks, lighters and other such small items. The bigger and bulkier the packaging, the less likely someone is to steal it.
While they haven’t settled on this decision, they are definitely leaning toward securing all merchandise behind locked display boxes.
This means whatever items customers want, they must find a sales associate to open the container. Oftentimes this means escorting the customer to the register.
In other efforts, some locations are installing more state-of-the-art monitoring technology along with sensors that link directly to police departments.
In some instances, they may begin using security tags on higher-ticket items. If Dollar Tree decides on any of these, it means yet another price increase.
Conclusion
Dollar Tree tends to be a prime target for many shoplifters and they are in the process of expanding their shoplifting policy.
The many holes in their security mean people know they can get away with it. Certainly, the cacophony of accounts via forum or video makes this behavior clear.
The discount retailer loses billions of dollars per year as a result. In response, they are beefing up security measures, hiring more security guards, and rethinking the layout of merchandise.
While all this will help cool the occurrence of shoplifting, the cost of these new policies will pass onto the consumer.
Reference Sources
https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/dollar-tree-may-raising-prices-crime-profits-fall