Te Kamo Bin Inn store manager Jayden Aben says the theft of bulk lolly bags has resulted in a $200 loss in the last week, and they would be reducing their confectionery range. Photo / Brodie Stone
Te Kamo Bin Inn store manager Jayden Aben says the theft of bulk lolly bags has resulted in a $200 loss in the last week, and they would be reducing their confectionery range. Photo / Brodie Stone
Middle-aged thieves are stealing kilograms of lollies a week from a family-run store in Whangārei.
Te Kamo Bin Inn lost more than $200 worth of lollies to theft in the last week, store manager Jayden Aben said.
“We’re not talking about 12-year-olds stealing a handful. It’s 40 to 50-year-olds stealing kgs and kgs.
“In the last week, we’ve seen at least $200 worth of confectionery go out the door. That’s at least 10 kilos worth of lollies.”
Aben said the level of theft in the past few weeks had been worse than ever.
Given a lot of stock was in bulk, it also made it difficult to measure just how much was going out the door.
Some customers had suggested putting some of their stock closer to the till or out the back, but the store was too small.
“If they can’t be there, they can’t be anywhere because we don’t have the room.”
The thefts had forced him to reassess the confectionery range, which was a major drawcard for customers.
It has taken him four and a half years to build up the confectionery range at the Te Kamo store.
People regularly came in to get old-school lollies for their grandparents.
Te Kamo Bin Inn's confectionery range is a drawcard for customers, store manager Jayden Aben says. They offer items from the Kiwi classics to a large liquorice range. Photo / Brodie Stone
Others purchased the “Kiwi classics” such as feijoas and chocolate fish before going overseas.
“If you’re having a little bit of a lull on a Friday afternoon, sometimes a crocodile or a wine gum can give you that prop-up that you need,” Aben said.
“It starts to take a lot of that joy away when you’re putting in all this work to try and give the best selection possible, and you’re having people that you think you’ve got a rapport with putting it in their bags behind your back.”
Aben said the thefts made him second-guess why he was making the effort.
There was only so much the store could do to prevent future thefts, he said.
The store had bolstered its security by adding more cameras and limiting access to its confectionery.
People could no longer purchase bulk bags because thieves had been sneaking them out of the shop, Aben said.
“Unless we have a staff member sitting on the cameras 24/7, unfortunately, we can’t always control it.”
Aben said it was a small percentage ruining it for the rest.
Te Kamo Bin Inn store manager Jayden Aben is reassessing the confectionery range after a string of thefts resulting in the loss of more than $200 worth of sweets in a week. Photo / Brodie Stone
In such hard times it was a question of surviving, let alone making money, he said.
Aben said trust for customers had waned, causing staff to be more paranoid.
“It’s not the way we want to do business.”
He was determined to speak out in the hopes of deterring thieves but also to encourage other businesses to speak out.
Aben urged those experiencing theft to report any suspicious activity to police.
Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.
