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Shoplifting has become so relentless at Orange Supermarket in Sydney's south that staff say it now feels like part of the daily routine.
Lizhen Cai explains.
"Basically, theft happens every day and on average the losses range from $200-300 on smaller days to $500-600."
And the thefts add up.
Annual losses of around $150,000 cut deeply into already-thin margins.
Most thefts are small and easily hidden, according to staff member Harry Zhao.
"The most common cases are petty theft, where people quietly slip drinks or snacks into their bags or pockets while browsing."
Store assistant Ray Huang says offenders come from all ages and backgrounds, though one group stands out.
"Offenders range from young to old, but the majority are young people."
It’s a view reinforced by a recent Monash University survey of 1,047 Australian shoppers aged 18 and older, released in October.
The Consumer Deviance Spotlight report’s lead author is Stephanie Atto:
"Younger people are certainly more accepting of theft. Survey found that 54% of 18-to-34 year olds said that retail theft was justifiable to some degree."
The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported 270,000 retail thefts last year, a rise of 7 per cent on the previous year, and the highest in two decades.
Ms Atto says it’s part of a broader shift in attitudes.
"During an alarming crime rise, Australia is certainly more accepting of retail theft and our survey found that one in four believed it was justifiable to some degree to commit retail theft including taking an item and not paying for it. We do expect an increase in retail crime leading up to Christmas and we do say that retailers need to certainly be vigilant and also that police and law enforcement need to be out there looking after retailers as well."
Over the past year, Victoria recorded the highest rise in all robberies, up by 16 per cent, followed by Tasmania with 11 per cent. Dr Vincent Hurley is a lecturer in criminology at Macquarie University, and a former police officer.
"There's inflation, there's stagnation of their wages if they're working part time. So even to survive, they would consider stealing to be a way to survive in this cost-of-living crisis."
However, not everyone agrees.
Up to 93 per cent of consumers aged 55 years and older view shoplifting as ‘not at all justifiable’.
Dr Hurley says self-checkouts that depersonalise payments, may be part of the problem.
"They do not see stealing from an individual, from a person. They see the stealing from an organization, a corporation, which has no face, it has no identity."
Seventy per cent of shop owners report a rise in shoplifting over the past financial year.
Despite retailers, police and peak bodies uniting to crack down on repeat offenders, Dr Hurley says the crime surge shows no signs of slowing.
"We should be worried about this trend as a society, absolutely! Low level crime can lead to much wider and more crime."
Crime Stoppers Victoria reports that nearly 70 per cent of retail theft in that state is committed by repeat offenders, many operating in well-organised networks.
It’s one reason Harry Zhao fears fighting theft is a losing battle.
"If you steal, it is selfish, inconsiderate of others, and it creates insecurity and increases the feeling of danger in the community."
