Shocking new statistics have revealed retail crime has more than doubled across Foodstuffs' North Island stores in the last two years.
Foodstuffs — owner of New World, PAK’nSAVE and Four Square — has more than 300 stores up and down the North Island.
The company said the total number of retail crime incidents across its North Island stores reached 5124 in Q1 2024 (January-March 2024), a record high after the 4719 incidents recorded in the previous quarter of October-December 2023 and the 3510 incidents in the July-September 2023 quarter.
The 5124 incidents recorded in the first quarter of this year was up 56% on the 3285 recorded in February-April 2023, and more than double (up 116%) the 2377 recorded in February-April 2022.
Theft dominated the latest quarter’s total, with 3651 separate incidents (up 9.6% on the previous quarter), followed by 600 breaches of trespass notices and store bans (up 17% on the previous quarter).
Of the total incidents, 120 were assaults. Sixty from January-March 2024, 31 from October-December 2023 and 29 from July-September 2023.
Foodstuffs North Island chief executive Chris Quin says the rise in violence and aggression was a big concern.
"For cases of assault and harassment in our co-op’s stores to now be double what they were in both of the previous two quarters is very worrying.
“It is, of course, part of the bigger picture of an ongoing epidemic of retail crime. We’re seeing it, and other retailers are too. The stats showing crime in our co-op’s stores has doubled within two years speaks volumes. It mustn’t be allowed to continue."
He said, consistent with the previous two quarters, repeat offenders accounted for a third of all offences in January-March of 2024.
"We’re talking about a hardcore set of offenders who repeatedly target retailers, even if they’ve previously been banned, and who think nothing of walking out without paying for goods, and then get hostile if confronted, as we’ve seen time and time again, and shown in the numerous CCTV clips we’ve shared publicly.
“Dishonesty and aggression are sadly inter-related. We don’t want people who behave this way in our stores putting our customers and teams at risk. Given the nature of what’s being stolen, our security teams believe a lot of what they’re seeing is people stealing to order or for on selling.
"We’re also working hard to support those who need some assistance accessing food, with our stores partnering with foodbanks and food rescue organisations.
"We've opened 11 social supermarkets around the North Island and have plans to open more," Quin said.
Quin said a facial recognition trial was continuing. It's now three months into its six-month long trial of facial recognition at 25 of its New World and PAK’nSAVE stores.
"Foodstuffs hopes the trial will determine if the technology’s ability to better identify repeat offenders can help keep its people and customers safe without compromising their privacy."
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