{"id":557,"date":"2025-04-30T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-30T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pharosstory.com\/?p=557"},"modified":"2025-05-02T02:34:55","modified_gmt":"2025-05-02T02:34:55","slug":"i-dont-need-to-shoplift-but-why-should-a-supermarket-get-all-my-money","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pharosstory.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/30\/i-dont-need-to-shoplift-but-why-should-a-supermarket-get-all-my-money\/","title":{"rendered":"I don\u2019t need to shoplift \u2014 but why should a supermarket get all my money?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\"Woman\t<\/div>
The number of shoplifting offences is on the rise (Picture: Metro\/ Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018Once you know you can get away with it, it\u2019s hard to start paying full price for everything again,\u2019  says Matilda*, a 26-year-old who lives in London<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Matilda has been shoplifting<\/a> since she was a teenager<\/a>. \u2018The first thing I stole was a thong from Primark<\/a>,\u2019 she tells Metro<\/strong>. \u2018I would just take little things.\u2019<\/p>\n

A decade later, and she\u2019s yet to kick the habit \u2013 not that she wants to. Not only does Matilda get a \u2018thrill\u2019 out of taking things, but she thinks it\u2019s \u2018justified\u2019 too. <\/p>\n

\u2018I can definitely afford my food shop without shoplifting,\u2019 she says. \u2018But prices have gone crazy. I just feel like, why should I have to pay that price when big supermarkets<\/a> are making the profits?\u2019<\/p>\n

New data<\/a> from the Office for National Statistics shows that the number of shoplifting offences in England and Wales rose by 20% last year.<\/p>\n

A total of 516,971 offences were recorded, compared to 429,873 in 2023. In London alone, offences rose from 58,000 to nearly 90,000 in 2024.<\/p>\n

But statistics only tell part of the story. Many casual kleptos are flying under the radar, and a lot of them are women. <\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Woman\t<\/div>
\u2018I get things that are on the display aisles or are really easy to pocket’ (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

According to a Gov.uk report published in January, theft from shops was the most common indictable offence for female defendants in 2023. It accounted for 27% of all female prosecutions for indictable crimes, compared to just 12% for men. <\/p>\n

Imogen*, a 25-year-old therapist who lives in Sheffield, started shoplifting when she was still at school. Her first target was the local corner shop. <\/p>\n

\u2018I think it was because friends did it occasionally,\u2019 she tells Metro<\/strong>. \u2018It was honestly just a bit of fun. I\u2019d pay for most of my things but just steal one or two small things, like chewing gum and chocolate.\u2019<\/p>\n

Imogen doesn\u2019t steal from small shops anymore. Instead, she\u2019s turned her attention to bigger stores such as Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury\u2019s, where she feels less likely to get caught. <\/p>\n

\u2018During Easter, when they have those little eggs in store, I\u2019ll always steal a little Lindor egg every time I go to the shop because I can. They\u2019re really easy, and it just doesn\u2019t feel like a big deal.’<\/p>\n

Like Imogen, Matilda will also go for small and easy-to-pocket items. \u2018I\u2019ll take things that are quite small and will go in my bag. Like cheese or halloumi or toothpaste. Just things that are quite small but kind of expensive,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n

\u2018I like to give myself three for two deals. I\u2019ll pay for two things and steal one.\u2019<\/p>\n

Matilda never steals from small businesses. Her main targets are big supermarkets. On average, she says she steals from them nine times out of 10 when she visits. <\/p>\n

\u2018The most expensive thing I\u2019ve stolen is probably a pack of salmon or an expensive face wash, like a \u00a320 face wash from Superdrug.\u2019<\/p>\n

Imogen will also occasionally steal more luxury items. \u2018I\u2019ve stolen haircare products like oils because they\u2019re stupidly expensive and I want them. It\u2019s the sort of thing I wouldn\u2019t get otherwise,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n

\u2018Like this is a luxury item that I\u2019m not going to be able to justify buying myself, but I can take it.\u2019<\/p>\n

Why do we feel a \u2018thrill\u2019 from shoplifting?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Some people, like Imogen and Matilda, start shoplifting simply because they can – and as consultant psychologist, Dr Elena Touroni<\/a>, explains, over time, it will becoming an all-too tempting habit,<\/p>\n

\u2018When someone shoplifts, the brain releases dopamine – a feel-good chemical linked to pleasure and reward,’ Dr Elena explains. \u2018This reinforces the behaviour, making it more tempting to repeat.’<\/p>\n

But Dr Elena also points out that the reasons for shoplifting may be deeper than this.<\/p>\n

She explains: \u2018It might stem from financial difficulty, but it\u2019s often tied to emotional drivers like stress, loneliness, trauma, or a need for validation. <\/p>\n

‘Sometimes, it can be a way of coping with deeper feelings of emptiness, low self-worth or a need for a thrill in an otherwise low-energy life.\u2019<\/p>\n

Some people can get addicted to this thrill. ‘For some, it provides a rush of adrenaline or sense of control that they might not experience elsewhere in their lives,’ says Dr Elena, who is also the co-founder of The Chelsea Psychology Clinic. <\/p>\n

\u2018Over time, the brain starts to link stealing with short-term relief or excitement, making it a behaviour people can rely on when dealing with emotional discomfort.\u2019<\/p>\n

Dr Elena notes that social expectations may play a role in why some women in particular turn to shoplifting. <\/p>\n

She says: \u2018Social pressures placed on women \u2013 to present a certain image, to manage emotional burdens quietly, to live up to unrealistic expectations \u2013 can create deep undercurrents of stress and low self-esteem. <\/p>\n

\u2018Shoplifting may, for some, offer a rare moment of rebellion or a secret way to reclaim a sense of agency in a world that often feels controlling.\u2019<\/p>\n

Finally, Dr Elena says it’s important to see chronic shoplifting ‘not just as a legal issue, but a mental health one’.<\/p>\n

She adds: ‘Support, therapy and compassionate understanding can make a huge difference – helping people break the cycle and find healthier ways to manage whatever underlying pain or pressure they may be carrying.\u2019<\/p>\n

Names have been changed in this article.<\/em><\/p>\n

Do you have a story to share?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The number of shoplifting offences is on the rise (Picture: Metro\/ Getty) \u2018Once you know you can get away with it, it\u2019s hard to start paying full price for everything again,\u2019  says Matilda*, a 26-year-old who lives in London.  Matilda has been shoplifting since she was a teenager. \u2018The first thing I stole was a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":559,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pharosstory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/557"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pharosstory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pharosstory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pharosstory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pharosstory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=557"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/pharosstory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/557\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":562,"href":"https:\/\/pharosstory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/557\/revisions\/562"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pharosstory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/559"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pharosstory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=557"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pharosstory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=557"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pharosstory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=557"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}