Budgens store manager speaks out over shoplifting epidemic

Sophie Roberts, 35, who has managed the Budgens garage on the A44 in Yarnton for five years, said it was ‘pointless’ to call the police’s 101 line to report shop thefts.

And while she still reports shoplifters via Thames Valley Police’s website, she said the force ‘wasn’t even asking’ for CCTV – despite being able to hand over crystal clear footage of repeat offenders.

Her comments came as the British Retail Consortium, an umbrella group of shop owners, warned that shoplifting was ‘soaring across the country’.

Echoing the BRC's warning, the chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, Dame Sharon White, branded shop thefts an ‘epidemic’.

The Budgens on the A44 in Yarnton (Image: Oxford Mail)

Fears

Miss Roberts was clear that she does not want to put her staff in harm’s way. Last year, a supervisor at the store was assaulted while confronting a thief, and there have been recent reports of retail staff elsewhere in the county being seriously hurt by shoplifters or their accomplices.

And while staff will call 999 if they catch a shoplifter in the act, the police rarely if ever come out – with the emergency call as much made in order to get the thief to leave as it is in the hope a police officer will attend, she said.

“We won’t even bother with calling [non-emergency police number] 101 anymore. It’s pointless. We’ll do it over the internet and fill in the crime reporting form,” Miss Roberts said.

“We can give them really good CCTV but we’re at the point where they’re not even asking for it. They don’t even register as wanting to look at it.”

Sophie Roberts, manager of the Budgens on the A44 in Yarnton (Image: Oxford Mail)

Compared to when she started her retail career, she said the police’s attitude towards shoplifting was ‘100 per cent worse’.

“Before, they were being much more proactive about it. You’ll be lucky now [to see the police]. There was a hit and run on the slip road outside the garage last week and the police didn’t turn up to that.”

Thefts up since pandemic

She has worked for Fraser Group Retail for 17 years; the family-owned firm that runs the Budgens franchise in Yarnton and elsewhere in the Thames Valley. She took over the management of the Yarnton garage five years ago.

“Shoplifting has become a major issue since Covid,” Miss Roberts said.

“It’s a shop; it’s going to get shoplifters. But after the restrictions were lifted, and perhaps after people lost their jobs, it became much more obvious and was on a bigger scale.

“Rather than it just being a can of Red Bull or a sandwich, it was meat, cheese, batteries, washing up liquid, laundry powder; anything that’s a high-value, re-sellable item.”

Commercial sensitivity prevents her – in common with other store chains – putting a figure on the amount of stock lost every week to shoplifters.

But she said it was enough to potentially put up prices for other customers.

“It’s going to raise the cost of living even further,” the store manager added.

“These people are being inconsiderate and the police are doing nothing to stop it.”

She said: “We’re a family-owned business – we’re a franchise – and it does hit hard.”

Miss Roberts said of the police: “They need to investigate because these people who are stealing from us are not just stealing stuff here; they’re not living a legitimate life in general.

“The police are quick enough to come here and ask us for CCTV when they need – when someone’s committed a crime and they want to catch them wearing particular clothing.”

The man in shorts (right) was said to have returned with an 'apprentice' Picture: From public (Image: Submitted)

Shoplifters typically arrived by bicycle and brazenly loaded items into ‘Bag For Life’ style shopping bags before leaving with their stolen booty.

One smartly-dressed thief even returned within days, this time bringing an apprentice shoplifter who was challenged by a staff member at the store, Miss Roberts said.

'We need to do more'

Responding to her comments, Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber said: "I recognise the impact of shoplifting and I know that Thames Valley Police need to do more.

“Whilst charges for shoplifting have increased by 66 per cent so far this year compared to 2022, I am disappointed that too many people feel they don't get the response they should expect.”

He added: “Over the summer I have spent time meeting with national and local retails to develop an improved strategy for dealing with shoplifting.”

“Officers have attended the service station to discuss the incidents and ensure CCTV is collated and the investigation commenced. 

“We will also work with the service station to provide preventative measures to help prevent any further incidents.”

A Thames Valley Police spokeswoman said officers had now visited the Budgens to talk to staff about the shop thefts.

“We will also work with the service station to provide preventative measures to help prevent any further incidents," she added.

Councillors in shop theft plea

Next week, Oxford city councillors will debate a motion calling on the police and crime commissioner to ‘do more to combat shoplifting’ and violent abuse against shop workers.

Cllr Edward Mundy, who has brought the motion, said: “I know the police are stretched and it’s not easy, but the least we can expect is for them to actually respond to crimes.

“You get reports of them not attending what is effectively a crime scene [after a shoplifting]. That is very worrying, because it’s as if nothing’s being done about it.”