– It used to be easy to recognize a thief; he was a vagrant: a dirty, smelly, unshaven man – Łukasz Dudzic, president of the company that operates the Intermarché store, tells istotne.pl Łukasz Dudzic. – Today, a thief’s appearance has changed dramatically. It is impossible to distinguish him from our customers. This is a normally dressed, clean, neat, shaved person. He does not look like a thief at all.
What is most often stolen from the store? – Coffee, chocolate, cosmetics and alcohol – Ł. Dudzic lists. The stolen goods, often still in their original packaging, are then sold around town for half price. Łukasz Dudzic himself experienced such a situation: in the parking lot in front of the supermarket, a man offered him perfume... stolen moments earlier from Intermarché. – Not everyone knows me – the store manager jokes. – I was the first “customer” the thief approached.
The supermarket most often loses between 10 and 200 złoty due to theft. And sometimes even more. The perpetrator of the most spectacular theft turned out to be a notorious thief from Legnica. Already exposed in his own area, the man came to Bolesławiec for so-called guest appearances. Taking advantage of a moment’s inattention on the part of the security guard, he escaped with an entire cart of goods to a white van parked in the lot and drove away. He was caught some time later because… he returned to the Bolesławiec Intermarché. He was recognized immediately.
In most cases, however, it is not even worth pursuing shoplifters. 95% of them are professionals who have made this practice their source of income. They really have no money. – When I apply to a bailiff to pursue such a person, I have to pay an advance – Ł. Dudzic explains. – And after some time, the bailiff will discontinue the case anyway.
There are also people who stole something because they were suddenly tempted. – I have had several such cases – the head of Intermarché says. – Then they come to me and apologize. I have to admit that, on the one hand, I am angry with these people, but on the other, I respect them. Such a gesture requires courage and overcoming one’s own inhibitions.