Freestanding Stores & Theft

[pahblov]

The city I live in recently opened up their first freestanding store, and it's been pandemonium in there since day one....so for those MAs who work at freestanding or pro stores....

Is there a lot of theft that goes on? Sadly, reading about the bad customers in this forum has made me kind of suspicious of some MAC shoppers (but certainly no Specktra-ites!), and it seems like it would be pretty easy to just take a box of eyeshadow and walk out of the store.

 

[Love Always Ivy]

at the freestanding store at my mall and all the ones ive been to, the MAs have been very watchful and politely remind customers to not go behind the tables and ask if they need help instead.

 

[Hilly]

I hear people steal testers. gross!

 

[janelovesyou]

One time when I was getting rung up and someone who I think was a manager was telling an MA that they had caught a guy in the mall who had taken stuff from a lot of the stores including Mac. She had all the brushes he had taken and she was ringing then up to see how much he had tried to take. I'm sure it was a lot considering how much their brushes are.

But I couldn't help wondering how he was able to successfully swipe them. The brushes are near the cash register and would think someone would notice someone lurking over there. But perhaps the were really slammed at the time.

 

[Love Always Ivy]

shoplifters are pathetic pathetic people.

 

[BloodMittens]

Lol. Surprisingly I have never seen anyone steal something from MAC, at least not at our mall.

 

[Beauty Mark]

Thieves are usually very clever or at least clever enough not to get caught. It wouldn't surprise me if things do get stolen out of the stores.

 

[MiCHiE]

At the Dallas & Plano stores, the brushes are (were) along the right-hand wall behind the counter. On a slow day, 2 people were on the floor. I can totally see how someone could swipe them.

 

[pahblov]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hdirenzo I hear people steal testers. gross!

That's so grody!

 

[MisStarrlight]

People steal our testers allllllll the time.
We get people stealing new products from time to time (since the drawers are very accessible, if we're busy, it's easy for a person to reach in & take something w/o us noticing.)

But thankfully (or maybe not sometimes), Macy's security cameras are always pointed at us & watched...Since we're the busiest dept in the entire store, they usually catch people that blatantly steal new stuff.

 

[amoona]

We're the busiest department in the store as well so LP has their cameras on our counter at all times. We get people mostly stealing testers. It's pretty gross. haha.

 

[tsukiyomi]

I remember that a girl on myspace had started a thread about how easy it was to steal makeup from counters. When everyone jumped on her, she defended herself by saying they were just testers...

Sick.

 

[ratoo]

I assume it must be possible as my local freestanding store here in the UK has a uniformed security guard. Bearing in mind that it is quite a small store, but they probably have had problems

 

[noahlowryfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by amoona We're the busiest department in the store as well so LP has their cameras on our counter at all times. We get people mostly stealing testers. It's pretty gross. haha.

can you get arrested for stealing testers?

 

[GreekChick]

Yes, you can. There are cameras everywhere, and stealing (even if it's testers) is still stealing. My counter is very circular, and in the middle stands a wooden wall. This is not really convenient for us because we can't see what is happening on the other side. If I'm standing in the "lip area", I have no idea what is going on in the "foundation area".
One time I asked 2 teenage girls if they needed any help with anything. They said no so I let them browse around the eyeshadows, while I went to help this lady, looking for a lipstick, on the opposite side of the counter. About 5 minutes later, I saw them walk away, out of the department store and into the mall. Next thing I know, I see security running after them. I was completely lost, they had been so nice and sweet. When they security man came back, he asked me if i was missing testers, and pulled out at least 10 shadesticks out of his pocket. He had been lurking around the counters, until he spotted them shoving all the makeup into their pants.

 

[coachkitten]

At Nordstrom we have people dressed like normal shoppers that patrol the makeup area to catch people who steal. It is quite possible that the MAC stores could have that as well.

 

[frocher]

Wow, I had no idea this was such a huge problem.

 

[tsukiyomi]

Unfortunately, shoplifting is very serious and very common. It disgusts me. I mean, when you are like 5 and "steal" a pack of gum, it's a learning experience and you don't do it again. But people who continuously steal do have mental issues. Sad.

 

[Beauty Mark]

I don't think it's a true mental issue a lot of the time... It's greed and selfishness combined with a lack of morals.

 

[tsukiyomi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beauty Mark I don't think it's a true mental issue a lot of the time... It's greed and selfishness combined with a lack of morals.

That too.