Shoplifting continues to soar in central Wellington

Friday, 1 December 2023

Sick of losing precious profit to brazen shoplifters, Ki Sushi owner Appy Jiang decided enough was enough.

But confronting the teenage thief prompted a violent response.

Jiang was punched repeatedly. When her husband went outside to help, he too was attacked, his face and neck scratched.

The couple’s 9-year-old daughter was in the Featherston St store at the time.

Retail crime continues to rise in central Wellington, with offenders in their young teens regularly observed stealing food from restaurants.

The Post previously reported the central city was experiencing a rapid rise in shoplifting, with the area undergoing nearly four times the amount of retail theft compared to a decade ago as of March.

Updated data provided by police shows shoplifting has continued to rise since March.

The start of April saw a record high for the capital – with 227 thefts being noted, although they have dipped since.

This follows the national trend, as Retail NZ claimed in September that retail crime was “snowballing” around the country. Foodstuffs North Island said supermarket theft was up almost 60%, including serious incidents like assault and robbery doubling alongside.

Jiang said for the first five years of owning her store, she experienced shoplifting only once a year.

However, over the past 12 months it was at least “once a week”.

The lure of sushi being placed on a table at the entrance made it an easy target for shoplifters.

However, she said she had to put her wares out to lure in the office workers walking by and “make a profit”.

“I have no choice. I have to pay my rent.”

Many of the offenders were young, Jiang said, appearing to be in their early teens, which saddened her.

She had in the past fed people who told her honestly they could not afford to buy food.

“If you’re hungry tell me, I’ll feed you. Just don’t do stealing.”

Jiang said the young woman who assaulted her stole sushi daily.

She was told at the police station, the offender was 13 and the case had been referred to Youth Aid.

Wellington had changed, Jiang said, with theft becoming more and more normalised.

“I’ve been here for six years. Each year, [shoplifting] would only happen once. Now it’s every week.”

Iko Iko manger Emma Smith told The Post in June that shoplifting had definitely increased for the store over the past few years, hitting its peak mid-last year.

There was at least one major theft each week, she said.

“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.

In September, Stokes Valley store owner Bin Li said a group of young women had repeatedly stolen from his corner store, with one of them slapping him in the face after he confronted the thieves.

“This is not stealing – this is robbery. They won't listen, they just grab whatever they want.”

Police were approached for comment.