Elizabeth and Salisbury retailers hit out at shoplifters in stores

A retailer in one of the hardest hit SA suburbs for shoplifting has hit out at people with “negative intentions”, issuing a New Age warning.

Retailers in two northern suburbs among the hardest hit by shoplifters have revealed the impacts of the crimes on their businesses.

Elizabeth and Salisbury were among the worst suburbs for shop theft, and among two of the regions with the highest JobSeeker payments in South Australia, a new analysis shows.

But cost of living pressures have been rubbished by two traders as an excuse or rationale for the spate of thefts that impact their bottom line, and ultimately push prices up for consumers.

The Advertiser spoke with multiple retailers in Salisbury and Elizabeth about the latest crime statistics for March that showed high rates of shoplifting.

The overall number of shoplifting offences increased by 29 per cent compared to the same time last year, but the March figure of 1455 offences is the lowest recorded for more than a year across SA.

Signs on shelves inside 4C Sanctuary at Parabanks Shopping Centre warn people shoplifting is a hexable offence. Picture: Tara Miko

The signs have yet to deter people from inviting that negative energy into their lives. Picture: Tara Miko

Adelaide city, Salisbury, West Lakes, Oaklands Park and Elizabeth were the top five suburbs for shop theft in March, statistics show.

Federal data revealed Elizabeth and Salisbury were in the top 10 highest areas for JobSeeker payments, while other areas such as Adelaide were among the lowest.

Salisbury had 127 recorded incidents of shop theft, while Elizabeth had 47.

One Elizabeth store worker said her outlet had between $2000 to $3000 in stock stolen in the past 12 months, with offenders becoming increasingly more brazen.

Tanya said her shop would no longer stock brand-name goods such as Fila, Nike and UGG boots because they were a target for thieves.

“You can’t say it is one generation, it is multiple generations that are doing it and thinking it is OK to help themselves,” she said.

Charges are not always possible, but Tanya said even those who were charged received a “slap on the wrist”.

She said cost of living pressures should not “be used as the excuse” because “everyone is doing it hard”.

“Some people will say, ‘oh I’m unemployed, I can’t afford that’.

“Well put money away. Or get a job.”

4C Sanctuary owner Kellie says tarot cards won’t be kind to people who steal them. Picture: Tara Miko

Salisbury trader Kellie, who opened 4C sanctuary in July last year in Parabanks Shopping Centre, said she had already had about $1000 in stock stolen.

Security cameras do not deter offenders, and the demographic of shoplifters also ranges from senior citizens to teens, she said.

She said there was a spike in thefts around times interest rates increased, with sage and tarot cards among most commonly boosted items.

But she had a message for people stealing items to cleanse the negative energy in their lives: it won’t work for them.

“The sage sticks for burning away negative energy, they’re a big item that gets pocketed, and also the tarot and oracle cards,” she said.

“They’re all about energy – everything has vibration and people use them in order to read energy, and I find it quite ironic, especially with the sage, they want to burn away negative energy but they’re just stolen it so it’s not really going to work.

“They’re carrying that negative energy along with them.”

Signs around her store inform customers that stealing is a “hexable” offence, and explains how shoplifting would only invite more negative energy into their lives.

“What happens is when you put out negative energy, that’s what you bring in,” she said.

“So if you’re ill-intentioned, you’re just going to receive ill-intention back.”

Despite the rate of thefts in less than a year, Kellie said she planned to continue trading at Parabanks Shopping Centre “for as long as the universe plans for me to be here”.