On March 25, thieves stole a $500 custom branded doormat from outside Night and Day on the corner of Cuba and Ghuznee Sts.
The shoplifters were confident and knew what they wanted, stores said. Photo / 123rf
Owner Hamish Garrick said he had taken to social media to try to identify the doormat stealers, as it was less time-consuming than going to police, and often had a better outcome.
"Something like a pie or a doormat doesn't really ring that many alarm bells, so you often have to deal with it yourself.
"Individually the items aren't significant enough to report, but the costs stack up over time."
He said it had got so out of hand that staff didn't feel safe coming into work anymore.
"These guys are always outside congregating and scheming; I don't tell staff to pursue them because you don't know what they'll do."
Fear Factory manager Karl Gebbie said they were also being targeted.
"We had someone walk in to scope the place out, see how many staff were on, what was on the shelves. Then they came back to hit it at a later date.
"A group of people came in and split in different directions. There weren't enough eyes to cover them all, and that's when one of them reached over the counter and took one of our money bags."
He too said the issue went beyond just shoplifting, and staff were feeling uneasy.
On March 18, Fear Factory staff called police after a drunken group became aggressive and violent, reportedly threatening to cut the hair of the staff member who had asked them to leave the premises.
Wellington Police said they were working with Wellington City Council on a safety initiative called Eyes On, designed to reduce store theft and enhance community safety.
They urged staff to always report theft as soon as it happened, and said all reports would be taken seriously and followed up.
