Wild moment Kmart employee confronts alleged thieves with cart full of goods in Adelaide
Footage has captured the moment a brave Kmart worker ran out of the store to confront two suspected thieves.
The video showed the frustrated store worker approaching two suspected shoplifters in the car park of Munno Para shopping centre, in the north of Adelaide, South Australia.
The cart appeared to be filled with shoe boxes, household items, kitchen appliances and clothing.
The pair of alleged shoplifters were seen in the video standing by the trunk of their car when they were approached by the Kmart employee.
'You can say to everyone who comes to steal: enough is enough!' she said to the couple.
The alleged shoplifters were about to load their suitcase when the Kmart employee approached them
One of the alleged thieves closed the boot of the car before reluctantly pushing the trolley towards the worker.
Both alleged thieves casually got into the back seat of their car after the confrontation.
It is not known whether charges have been filed against the pair. 7News reported.
Paul Zahra, CEO of the Australian Retail Association, told Ny Breaking shoplifting has increased this year.
“Retailers are already struggling with rising operating costs related to labor, fuel, energy, supply chains, rent and loans,” he said.
Mr Zahra said shoplifting costs retailers more than $9 billion a year, but believes this number could be even higher as a large number of thefts go unreported.
After one of the alleged thieves pushed the cart to the store employee, he and his companion got into the backseat of their car.
'We are also seeing an increase in organized crime. Organized crime is professional shoplifting, where two or more people conspire to steal retail items with the intention of reselling the items for a profit,” he said.
Retail shoplifting can also have negative consequences for workers, Mr Zahra added.
'Shoplifting is not victimless. One in four cases of shoplifting also involves abusive or threatening behavior towards frontline workers,” he said.
Many new measures have been introduced by retailers, such as artificial intelligence and high-tech cameras at self-service checkouts, and gates that do not open if sensors suspect that someone has not paid for goods.