Warning after Northland woman in 70s has handbag taken from supermarket trolley

The woman is warning others not to leave their handbag in their supermarket trolley, after hers was taken from the carpark of a Far North supermarket. Photo / 123RF

A woman in her 70s wants to warn others to keep their possessions close, after her handbag with her “whole life inside” was taken from her supermarket trolley in the Pak’nSave Kaitāia car park.

The woman is still shaken from her ordeal, which occurred on Friday just after midday.

She asked not to be identified but wanted to share her story in the hope others will heed the warning, especially elderly.

Foodstuffs said Kaitāia Pak’nSave is a very safe store and such incidents are very rare, but both the company and police say the incident serves as a reminder to be vigilant about keeping valuables safe.

The woman said her bag contained everything including her wallet, cash, phone and prescription reading glasses, which would all cost thousands to replace. On top of this, it took her hours to cancel her bank cards and phone.

The woman was shopping with her sister, who is 80, and was packing the groceries from their two trolleys into her car, when two men started talking to her sister.

She believed the men targeted the pair due to their age.

While the sister was distracted talking to one of the men, the other man grabbed the woman’s handbag from her trolley.

The woman said she noticed out of the corner of her eye what the man was doing but was too scared to say or do anything, due to the men’s intimidating demeanor and large size.

She particularly did not want to alert her sister, whom she thought would retaliate.

Once clear of the supermarket, the woman rang police and got in contact with Pak’nSave, with staff later confirming the incident was captured on CCTV.

She still has not got her bag back.

“I want the elderly people to know, just be vigilant about their bags. It was right in my trolley but they took advantage of us,” the woman said.

“It was very, very frightening for me. It’s just that my whole life was in my bag.”

A statement from Foodstuffs, which runs Pak’nSave, said the safety of team members and customers is the company’s top priority, and such incidents at Pak’nSave Kaitāia are rare.

“For additional security, the store has CCTV covering the car park, and we’ve made footage available to the police to assist in their investigation.”

Foodstuffs advises customers to keep their wallets with them and avoid leaving valuables unattended.

Once customers have finished shopping, it also recommends placing personal items in the car before unloading their trolley, securing belongings in the boot, rather than the more visible front seat.

Police area response manager Senior Sergeant Richard Garton said police received a report that a woman shopping in Kaitāia realised she had left her handbag in the trolley when she got home, and returned to the supermarket to discover it had been taken.

The woman said when she rang police initially, she was a bag of nerves, and full of confusion and disbelief about what happened.

But she was later able to more clearly recall what had happened, and the store’s CCTV footage confirmed when the bag was taken.

Garton said it was a reminder for people to be careful with security of their valuables.

“Thieves are opportunistic and while most in our community would’ve handed the bag into police or the store, it highlights the need to be vigilant with the security of your personal belongings.”

Police have filed the matter, pending any further available evidence, he said.

Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.