General

Britain’s middle class turns to shoplifting to sustain way of life

Overall thefts rise to $8.6bn

In Britain, the cash-strapped middle class appears to have found a way to sustain their lifestyles without breaking the bank: shoplifting. According to the retail security company Checkpoint Systems, middle class thieves seeking to keep up with the Joneses are mostly to blame for the increase in shoplifting in Britain, which shot up by one-fifth in the year ending in June, to almost $8.6bn. Fashion clothing stores and specialty food shops have become particular targets, with expensive branded goods most likely to be nicked. “We are seeing more instances than before of amateur thieves stealing goods for their own personal use rather than to sell on,” says Neil Matthews of Checkpoint Systems. “These amateurs also tend to be caught by fairly basic security equipment, whereas career criminals would be able to avoid that.”

The Guardian

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