Michaels is best known for selling arts and craft supplies at stores across over a thousand locations in the US and Canada. Like most retailers, they suffer significant losses due to shoplifting, yet their policy on the matter is pretty hands-off.
Michaels employees are told to avoid shoplifters and allow them to continue uninterrupted. At most, an employee can approach the shoplifter to offer customer service, hopefully making them uncomfortable enough to leave the store. However, security guards and loss-prevention specialists will sometimes stop shoplifters and record their details.
Shoplifters are banned from the store, and some are reported to the police for legal action.
You’ve come to the right place if you want to learn more about Michaels and their shoplifting policy. Read through this guide to discover everything you need to know!
What Is Michaels’ Shoplifting Policy?
Most retailers struggle with shoplifting, but not all of them handle it the same way. Some prefer a hands-off approach that prioritizes customer and employee safety.
Meanwhile, others take a more aggressive approach to stop, catch, and charge people who steal from them.
Michaels falls in the former category. Their shoplifting policy tells staff not to stop or block shoplifters, even if they start stealing in plain sight.
At most, a Michaels employee can follow and observe the shoplifter to gather as much information as possible.
Aside from that, staff can also approach the suspected shoplifter under the guise of providing customer service.
In other words, staff can deter shoplifters by approaching them and asking if they need any help around the store.
Doing so can discourage some shoplifters, though it won’t stop more brazen ones that don’t care if people are witnessing their crime in action.
The intention behind the policy to let shoplifters go is to protect staff and customers from any potentially dangerous situations. Or, at least, that’s the reason Michaels provides to its staff on the matter.
However, there are other likely reasons why Michaels won’t let its staff stop shoplifters, which include:
- Avoiding lawsuits: Large retailers want to avoid getting sued by customers falsely accused of stealing. Besides that, shoplifters might also issue a lawsuit if they feel they’ve been wrongfully detained by staff or otherwise had their rights violated.
- Insurance: Retailers also invest heavily in insurance that will reimburse them for any losses through shoplifting. Retailers likely feel that paying for that insurance is significantly cheaper than having to pay for the lawsuits discussed above or paying legal fees to go after shoplifters.
Despite the policies in place, there still are situations when Michaels employees will try to stop shoplifters from exiting the store with stolen goods.
Michaels also uses a lot of common shoplifting deterrents, such as:
- Security cameras: Michaels has closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras all around their stores, especially where they store high-value items. The store can use recordings from those cameras as evidence to file reports against shoplifters.
- Warning signs: Michaels locations also have signs on the walls to warn would-be shoplifters. The signs remind customers of the CCTV cameras in operation and the potential consequences of getting caught stealing.
- Showcases: Expensive items in Michaels stores are kept in showcases or otherwise locked up. Customers can only access those items with an employee’s help. Doing so makes stealing much more challenging for shoplifters.
- Electronic tagging: Lastly, some items have electronic tags attached to them. These tags trigger alarms if they’re taken through the entrances or exits without a cashier first removing them.
These deterrents are not meant to prevent shoplifting by 100%. Instead, their purpose is to make it significantly more challenging to steal, and therefore discourage shoplifters from even trying to do so.
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Does Michaels Have Security Guards?
Yes, Michaels hires security guards to protect its staff and customers across all of its locations. On top of that, they also recruit employees to focus on loss-prevention responsibilities as well.
Together, security guards and loss-prevention specialists reduce the odds of shoplifters getting away scot-free with their crimes.
Despite the policies in place, guards and loss-prevention workers will try to interfere with shoplifters while they’re stealing and try to retrieve the stolen goods.
On top of that, these employees also bring the shoplifter to a security office to gather evidence and information.
Typically, they’ll gather information such as the shoplifter’s name, address and contact details. A photo is also taken to add to their records as they build a case against the shoplifter.
Depending on the value of the stolen items, they’ll either let the shoplifter go or file a report against them later.
Why Don’t Michaels Employees Stop Shoplifters?
A lot of customers are confused as to why Michaels employees won’t stop shoplifters, even if the crime happens in plain sight. Some even go as far as saying that staff do not care about what’s going on.
That’s untrue. The reality is that all staff members are trained not to intervene when they see shoplifting taking place.
In fact, there are some cases where staff lose their jobs because they tried to stop a shoplifter.
Here are the reasons why a Michaels employee will likely do nothing to stop a shoplifter:
- Safety: Some shoplifters turn violent when they’re confronted. That can put employees and customers at risk. For the overall safety of everyone in the store, it’s best to let the thief leave.
- Liability: Suppose an employee tries to stop a shoplifter, causing injuries and property damage in the process. The total cost of those things could be much more than the value of the stolen goods. In simple terms, stopping a shoplifter might not make financial sense.
- Potential false accusations: Lastly, there’s always the small chance of a customer being falsely accused of shoplifting. It could put the Michaels location in legal trouble if that were to happen.
With all these potential outcomes, it should be no surprise that many Michaels employees will choose to follow the store policy and not do anything to stop or interrupt a shoplifter.
Do Shoplifters At Michaels Get Arrested?
Yes, shoplifters at Michaels sometimes get arrested. Many factors go into deciding whether or not to press charges against the shoplifter.
For example, a shoplifter might not be reported to the police if the value of the items they stole is minimal. In that case, they would likely have their details recorded and be banned from the store.
However, someone stealing many expensive items will more likely be arrested and charged in court. That could lead to expensive fines, community service, or even jail time.
Of course, there are some situations where shoplifters would undoubtedly be arrested. For instance, if a shoplifter threatens or attacks other people in the store, or if a police officer witnesses the shoplifting themselves, they would most certainly be arrested.
Final Thoughts
The shoplifting policy at Michaels tells its employees to avoid shoplifters and allow them to continue with what they’re doing.
That might seem shocking to some people, but it’s a common practice in many leading retailers to protect their workers and customers from harm.
Still, they use common and effective deterrents to discourage shoplifters, like closed-circuit security cameras, warning signs, electronic tagging, and showcases to lock up valuable items.
Not all shoplifters get arrested, but those that endanger others or steal high-value items are more likely to be charged.
Reference Sources
https://www.greghillassociates.com/inglewood-shoplifting-at-michael-s-case-dismissed.html