A note of serious alarm.

Doesn't paint a pretty picture, does it.

None of this is my real world experience.
Apart from the Bank of England, that is.
Not noticed any shoplifting surge. or stripping out the local Morrisons.
One hate preacher has been let in, but his speech was cancelled.

Maybe Zimbabwe is becoming more attractive?

I was talking to a chap in the supermarket a short while back (A Sainsburys employee) who said they lose £thousands every week due to shoplifting and that shoplifting has never been so bad. I read a similar story about Morrisons putting pictures of steaks on display because so many are stolen. Shoplifting, especially organised shoplifting is a huge problem, not least of all because the police don't take it seriously.

The sad part is food wont come down in price, the supermarkets have to make that money back up some way, so they'll keep food at high prices, and it doesn't help that the supermarkets/police have basically been told to leave shoplifters alone, unless of course it's apparent it's a organised gang.

Quite agree, supermarkets will recover their losses through honest customers. In my opinion police should patrol supermarkets, and I'm talking about big lads not a 5ft WPC. Football clubs pay towards the cost of policing crowds on matchdays, I'm sure supermarkets would be open to paying towards the cost of a visible police presence to deter thieves. 

it was a while ago but i did have to desl with a knife wielding shoplifter at Lidl.

I was about to enter the Newport store when two men locked in unarmed combat fell out of the shop’s in door. An unwashed undesirable had his hands round the throat of a bloke in Lidl uniform who was attempting to eject him. A bottle of cheap vodka with its security tag still attached smashed to bits in the unwashed shit’s jacket picket as he went down. The Lidl bloke foolishly turned his gaze to a fellow employee evicting a less violent shoplifter and tbe violent shit pulled a knife as he got up.

I felt obliged to ram the bastard with my empty trolley, putting him down, and then stamp on his balls and kick him in the head while still wearing my steel toe capped industrial boots to ensure he did not get up until tbe police arrived. I told them what i’d done and why and said i was sure THAT cctv (pointing to a camera on the wall) caught it. I gave my name and address. Nobody even bothered to come to see me.

That was, i admit, just before the COVID lockdown.

I have no idea how bad things are now. I’ve witnessed two further shopliftings but they were too fast for my weakened frame to pursue.