Chinatown gift store owner displays over 20 photos of suspected shoplifters to alert the public

Chinatown gift store owner displays over 20 photos of suspected shoplifters 

A gift store owner in Chinatown took public shaming to the next level as she displayed over 20 photos of suspected shoplifters who stole items from her store.

The shop owner claimed she put up the pictures to alert the public and to seek help in identifying the suspects.

Owner apparently loses S$100 every month due to theft

Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, the owner of the shop — located along Trengganu Street in Chinatown — said the store loses about S$100 every month to theft.

Earlier this month, the shop — named ‘WOW’ — shared footage on Xiaohongshu showing pictures of “thieves” plastered across the storefront.

Ms Lei (name transliterated from Chinese), the shop owner, told Shin Min Daily that the photos were put up to “alert the public” and identify the alleged thieves.

Employee claims store sees theft cases every week

Meanwhile, an employee said the theft has been a long-standing problem — both locals and tourists have been caught stealing at the store.

“We see cases of theft every week on average, sometimes even two to three times a day. Most of the people in the photos are locals and repeat offenders,” the employee shared.

She mentioned an incident where a 20-year-old tourist visited and stole glasses in May.

The tourist allegedly took two pairs of white spectacles from a cabinet and placed one on top of a hat.

She placed the other pair of glasses on the counter and told the shop owner that she did not intend to them. The customer then walked out of the store and took the other pair — placed on the hat — with her.

Another incident occurred during Lunar New Year when an elderly woman entered the store while staff members were sorting items and cleaning.

The employee said she saw the woman lingering near the portable fan display before leaving.

Upon checking the CCTV footage, she realised the elderly woman had stolen two pairs of glasses from the eyewear section.

“If I hadn’t been there, the fans might have been stolen too,” said the employee.

The employee also accused the woman of messing up the glasses section to cover her track.

Ms Lei said she released the photos before Lunar New Year in anticipation of a spike in shoppers during the festive period.

Also read: FairPrice Bukit Batok Locks Up Infant Milk Formula As Part Of Trial To Prevent Shoplifting

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Featured image adapted from Google Maps.