Abby Connolly
It’s universally known that shoplifting, for lack of a better phrase, is not okay.
Some younger people still think stealing from shops, especially larger supermarket chains, is fun and rebellious. While most people understand stealing items from a small business is especially cruel, some still have yet to grasp that.
One small business owner recently exposed a shoplifter who had the gall to steal from her and her husband’s shop even after meeting him in person and learning their items were handmade.
Lindsay (@livelaughlindsay), who owns a small vintage store in a mall in New Jersey with her husband Zack called Trashion, recently posted the security footage she has of a young woman shoplifting from her store on TikTok and went viral.
“If you live in the tri-state area, specifically Bushwick, Brooklyn area, and you’re a small business owner, or you own a vintage store, listen up,” says Lindsay in the intro of her video.
Lindsay then cuts to her shop’s security footage and zooms in on a young woman named Samantha who went into her store in July. Samantha told store staff that day that she lives in Bushwick, Brooklyn, and was very friendly as she walked around the store.
At one point during her visit, shown entirely in the TikTok, Samantha looked at some of the shorts on a clothing rack, which were handmade by Lindsay and her husband. Samantha took the time to ask Zack, who was working in the store that day if he made them, and he said yes, that he and his wife did.
“After Samantha confirms that we are indeed a small business and make all of our clothes in-store, she decides to keep shopping around, looking at what she wants to steal next,” says Lindsay.
After making some small talk with the store’s cashier, gauging whether or not he was actively watching her shop, Samantha left the store for a while. Lindsay and her husband had dinner reservations later that evening, so as they were getting ready to leave the store for the day, Samantha went back in and waited for them to leave before browsing the racks again.
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