After browsing lifting blogs for a month or so I haven’t seen much info regarding lifting in the uk so I thought I’d make a post of all my experiences lifting in various shops as well as working in topshop previously
TOPSHOP
-always someone placed at the entrance of the store (unless it’s a very small store with 3 SA’s) this is called ‘front cover’ and the job is to call back anyone who beeps and to pace up and down looking down into the shop also, to check for anyone suspicious. They have a radio on them and I’m not sure what the law/official rules are but we were told to ask to check customers bags if they beeped, regardless of if the bag was a topshop carrier bag or the customers own handbag. Our towers also detect magnets by flashing a blue light on the ceiling above the towers. We’re told to smile and say hi to customers including anyone we deem suspicious in order to scare off anyone intending to lift
-THERE IS A ROLE CALLED ‘RED ROUTE’ this role is specifically for catching out lifters! The task is to walk a figure of 8 around the store touching a few items but mainly watching and observing the behaviour of customers. This person has a radio but is plain clothed, so no topshop staff lanyard.
-recently stores around me ditched the number cards in the fitting rooms and instead counted your items (maximum 7/8) and walked you to the fitting room. We were told to remember faces and items, take jewellery or pants off you and return on your way out. Fitti rooms are checked every 15 minutes and ticked off on a sheet, taking note of hangers tags or stickers in each cubicle. A way to avoid over attentive staff in fitting rooms would be to conceal then detag in the fitting room ( although we were hot on double tagging, told to feel clothes for double tags when customers gave them back) or before closing the person on the fitting rooms is told to tidy the store near the fitting room, then it’d be easy to stroll in with your items
-socks and makeup were never tagged or stickered when I worked here but I know this isn’t the case for bigger stores such as London. Jewellery have stickers on but are easy to hide behind your phone then just pick up another item that you don’t want and slip your phone and wanted item into your pocket. Same with wallet
-bras are meant to be tagged but honestly due to laziness it’s quite rare
-I’ve never see anyone lift even though it’s very certainly happened, we’re only told to keep an eye on suspicious looking people e.g chavvy looking people or big groups of girls
-can’t think of any other tips ATM so ask any questions!
H&M
-so lazy and unobservant, bras will be un tagged and I always find items of clothing not tagged
-fitting rooms rarely manned-If no ones there I take some unwanted clothes in too and just come out with them and make a big deal of putting the unwanted clothes on their table when leaving the fitting room
PRIMARK
-one of my favourites!! No tags whatsoever, busy SA’s, big stores and fitting rooms you can work around
-they count your items at the fitting room and give you a numbered card, but don’t take the items from your hands or thoroughly check, when going in I normally pretend to slowly count like errrm then they count for me and always miscount as I have tops under tops on my arms. I then conceal these extra items in the fitting room
-you can also walk in with say 6 items, conceal 2 in the fitting room and walk out with 4 messy items on your arm. The shop assistants don’t count your items on the way out, they don’t care like at topshop, just say they are good thanks then slip them back around the shop floor while browsing. Easy way to gain 2 pieces of clothing
PAPERCHASE
-no cameras, 2/3 staff per store
-friendly SA’s just say hello and browse
THE BODY SHOP
-a few cameras covering pretty much the entire shop floor due to its open-ness, maybe ½ SA’s helping then 2 on the tills. Recently concealed when there was only 1 SA on the floor and she was busy helping someone, turned my back to the camera walking to look at something on a shelf
IKEA
-only tried once messily and the security guard actually helped me out hahaha. Went in with my friend so she could buy her secret Santa, took a shopper bag and filled it with wanted items (was unsure if method would work so also concealed a few small bits in my own bag, plenty of blind spots and opportunities) and went to self checkout. My friend bought her items and I kind of just out the shopper bag on my shoulder while she was paying like I had already just bought it all and was waiting for her. Only problem is the shopper bags they give u to browse with are YELLOW and the bags you buy at the checkouts are BLUE. So on the way out he kind security guard told me I had the wrong bag and would need to buy a reusable bag for my items, went bag and bought one! Walk out method would work as busy and people buy so much stuff in there, next time I would take my blue reusable bag in and fill it up a bit but not so its bulky, then buy some candles and put them in my bag at the checkout. Like when you bring your own empty bags to the supermarket to save the world lol.
TESCO/ASDA
-similar to ikea, I can conceal on the shop floor by putting my own bag in the trolley with my food and items, occasionally putting small things in my own bag
-I also conceal at self checkout, paying for a few items then bagging the rest
-cameras down most Aisles but I either conceal when turning a corner or walking down an aisle with my back to a camera
RIVER ISLAND
-very strict and observant
-only attempted small jewellery behind my phone or in my palm
BOOTS
-notorious for teenage shop lifters, they involve police
-some higher priced makeup sticker tagged
NEW LOOK
-good near closing time, I noticed all the clutch bags weren’t tagged so put one under my arm while browsing, took clothes to try on and concealed as no one in fitting room
-big handbags tagged and all clothes are meant to be
