Light-fingered legions run up huge price tag

Despite the gloomy economic situation, retailers and experts agree that there has not been a marked increase in shoplifting in the past year or over the festive season.

However, crime remains a headache for shop owners in South Africa as shoplifting syndicates are becoming more sophisticated.

Pricey and easy to conceal, Canderel, Panado, Oil of Olay and AA batteries remain top on the list of pilfered items.

Michael Broughton, director of the Institute of Retail Risk, and James Oosthuizen, crime manager for the Consumer Goods Council of SA, agree that many shoplifted items eventually end up at flea markets, small stores and street corners where they are sold at a fraction of the retail price.

Broughton said health and beauty aisles suffer most because they contain many small high-value products such as razor blades, effervescent tablets and sunscreen. And in the food industry R1-billion's worth of goods go missing every year.

Dudu Ndlovu, of Adcock Ingram, said: "As a company we are aware of pilferage problems on Panado in retail stores but do not have detail on the extent of the problem. According to local independent research through a study recently, Panado is the No1 iconic brand of analgesics in South Africa."

Broughton said shoplifters can be divided into three categories - those who steal because they are in need, amateurs and professionals.

It is professionals who make the biggest dent in retailers' pockets.

"They go and steal from different shops every day to feed their drug habit or to feed their families. They could get 20c in a rand for the stolen product," said Broughton.

Oosthuizen said shoplifters have become more organised and the trend is for syndicates to operate with store security or staff.

"They come in and load trolleys full of fairly expensive goods and then get out of there. Sometimes the group splits up and [they] distract the whole supervisory chain. We are working with the police in eradicating these organised groups."

Glenn Gilzean, Woolworths' group director for retail operations, said: "Shoplifting trends have not increased over the last financial year. In the main the perpetrators appear to be motivated by need. High-value items are favoured by criminals, but clothing is particularly targeted."

Pick n Pay spokesman Tamra Veley would not disclose shoplifting figures for "competitor-sensitive reasons". But she said losses to shoplifting at Pick n Pay are "on par with international trends".

But products are not just stolen from shelves. Through networks they go missing from warehouses, distribution centres and factories.

According to the latest police crime statistics for the period 2010-2011, there were 78383 reported shoplifting cases in the country, with Gauteng leading the pack with 24767, followed by Western Cape with 18 763.

The Consumer Goods Council of SA represents more than 11000 companies.