Central Wellington shoplifting soars, leaving retailers feeling helpless

Friday, 9 June 2023

Iko Iko manager Emma Smith says the store is often a target for shoplifting due to its smaller wares.

Shoplifting is at an all-time high in central Wellington, with nearly four times the amount of retail theft compared to a decade ago.

Latest police data shows a 282.692% increase in retail thefts in the CBD – almost quadrupling from mid-2014.

Of Wellington central’s five most common crimes – which includes car-jacking, general theft, unlawful entry and car theft – shoplifting is, as of March, the area’s most common. And one that has had the highest increase over the past nine years, following the country’s overall trend in rising retail crime.

Emma Smith, the manager of Cuba St gift and homeware shop Iko Iko, told The Post shoplifting had definitely increased at the small store over the past few years, hitting its peak mid-last year.

There was at least one major theft each week, she said. More were revealed during the store’s stocktake, or when a customer ordered and item online and it was not available.

The family-owned Wellington store sells small, bespoke products that are an appealing target for shoplifters looking to resell items online.

“We’re definitely being targeted, which is sad. We have thousands of products in the shop, it's easy for someone to just pocket the little trinket,” Smith said.

“We’re a small business … we can’t compete with the big guys, so if people are stealing from us, it's hard to come back from that.”

Many of the shoplifters were repeat offenders, from a variety of ages and backgrounds.

“They’d be the same people, we would know their faces and we would have to come in and ask them to leave.”

Iko Iko, a gift and small homeware store, has regular shoplifters who target it.

Shoplifting was “more subtle” now, she said.

Despite the increase in crime, Smith said they had been supported by police and other retailers in the area. They keep each other informed about repeat offenders through social media and other means.

An employee at a Cuba St store, who asked to to remain anonymous out of fear the store would be increasingly targeted, said shoplifting in the area was “just revolting”.

It was worst it had even been, which they attributed to the cost of living crisis.

The employee said police were “hamstrung” when tackling the issue. Offenders are difficult to apprehend if they’re not caught in the act.

“It’s the notion that it's been going on for so long and there’s no end to it, no respite.”

However, not all stores The Post spoke to noticed an increase in theft.

Third Eye manager Becky Bolton said the shop had been affected by shoplifting, but definitely not as bad as other retailers.

She had heard others in the area, particularly boutique clothing stores on Willis St, had worst hit.

Rachael Caughley, owner of clothing store Caughley, said they had not been affected by shoplifting.

“I’m very lucky and I don’t want to jinx myself.”

She assumed the high-end, one-on-one service the store offered was the reason .

“It’s probably a slightly different customer experience from like, Iko Iko and Third Eye, where are a lot of those people are just kind of like looking around.”

Wellington Area Commander inspector Dean Silvester said police understood retail crime was frustrating and could be frightening for retailers and the wider community.

“We are working with local businesses to provide advice to keep them and their businesses safe by taking a prevention focus to reduce further offending.”

Silvester said encouraged anyone concerned about offending or their safety to contact police immediately on 111 or 105.

“When people report crime or suspicious behaviour to us, we get a clearer picture of what’s happening in the community. It allows us to look at what policing activities are needed to both support victims and hold offenders to account in the courts or through other alternative resolutions.”