Oregon Grocer Reports Uptick in 'Brazen' Shoplifting

MICHAEL GARRY

WILSONVILLE, Ore. — In this town near Portland, Gale Lasko, co-owner of Lamb's Markets, a five-store operator, has noticed a rise in more "brazen" kinds of shoplifting.

"We are encountering more people dashing out the door with products — kids grabbing a 12-pack of beer or someone leaving with a cartful of product," he said. "It's really increased in the past year."

While a manager — never a clerk — might try to go after a shoplifter, "if it comes to possible harm, we let them go," he said. "We might just try to get a license-plate number."

Lasko said the shoplifting incidents he is seeing do not appear to be perpetrated by organized crime rings, which are known for aggressively pilfering stores. In June, the National Retail Federation released its sixth annual organized retail crime survey, in which 89.5% of retailers said their company has been a victim of ORC within the past 12 months, down from last year’s 92.2%.