Nimble of hand but light of finger

Shoplifting has never been much of a problem for us at shows and exhibitions – we’ve had the odd pattern book walk away without being paid for, and we did have a throw kit stolen from a larger show (we established that  the devious thief first knocked it to the floor and then kicked it around the corner, past our stand, so that they could escape with it unseen by us!). But at the Melbourne Craft & Quilt Fair this last week, pilfering was in almost epidemic proportions.

Perhaps the most disappointing incident was regarding a scarf that I’d knitted in JitterBug, that I’d only just finished in time for the Australian Sheep & Wool Show, held the previous week. Many of our customers and visitors there made favourable comment on the scarf – I’d actually reworked an existing large basket stitch pattern to make it even more dimensional & textured, and basically knitted the full hank of JitterBug to see what size piece would eventuate. Many had asked me for the pattern, and I gave promise to chart my stitch design and write up the pattern instructions.

But, alas, within the first hour of the first day of the Melbourne Craft & Quilt Fair being open, that same scarf has been stolen from our stand. And the pilfering didn’t cease there.  Many will have seen how we package together sock kits – a hank of JitterBug with sock pattern, an 80cm Knit Picks circular, and a leaflet describing how to work in the round using the Magic Loop. It saves the purchaser about $2.50 on the individual purchases, as we’re able to adjust down the price of the JitterBug when purchased at the same time as the needles – just a basic marketing process.  During the course of one day at the show I found at least 5 kits that had their needles removed. Stolen. We’re talking of an $8.50 item here, not the crown jewels, so why would people who’d already paid an entrance fee to get into the show, find it necessary to steal such relatively low cost items? What’s worse is that these people are clearly KNITTERS themselves. Now that does leave a bad taste. We like to think of our fellow knitters as good people, as honest people, but there is surely an element among us – as, I suppose,  amongst just about any group in society – that does not possess the same scruples and conscience as the majority.

Alas, it is the majority that suffers, because we found we then had to tie down items on display, that we had to seal up the kits with staples (which, incredibly, people then ripped open), and then we ended up finding it necessary to put all but one sample kit out of public reach, and just made up the kits on demand. 

We all suffer in the end: the customer because they aren’t given such free access to our products as they might like; and us because the barriers we create may deter the honest customer from making a purchase.

I don’t know what the best answer is – many other stores simply build in a percentage in their retail prices to cover an expected level of shoplifting, but that is something I prefer not to have to do. Strategically placed mirrors, additional staff, there’s a range of deterrents that might work but my concern is that we might deter the genuine purchasers too.

But to anyone who sees my scarf out on the streets of Melbourne (such audacity to wear things they’ve stolen!), you might like to approach the wearer and ask them how long it took them to knit it? And where can you get the pattern? For yes, it was such a lovely scarf.

The nerve of some people!