Gimli shop owner limits customers, locks door while open due to spike in thefts
CBC News | Posted: July 3, 2023 9:11 PM | Last Updated: July 3, 2023
Sumalee Phanad says she's growing frustrated with rise in shoplifting at lakefront store
A Gimli, Man., shop owner say she's growing frustrated with a spike in shoplifting during the busy tourist season and has resorted to drastic measures to curb theft.
Sumalee Phanad has operated Thai Plaza, a Thai clothing and gift store on the busy lakefront strip, for 11 years and relies heavily on sales made during the summer to keep her business profitable.
The town, which is about 85 km north of Winnipeg on the shore of Lake Winnipeg, has mostly been a great place to live and work, Phanad says.
But this year shoplifting has been on the rise during the busy tourist season as visitors flood the popular community, she says, especially on weekends.
"It can happen every day but mostly it's the weekend when we're really busy. You can tell. You can see it," she said.
Phanad says she tries to confront suspected shoplifters and has been making police reports.
However, that hasn't been enough to curb theft, so she's recently started limiting entry to 15 customers at one time and sometimes even locks the door if it gets too busy to deal with the problem.
"It's tough, It's frustrating, but we just have to look how we can resolve the problem."
She said she's also considered hiring more staff, but that would hurt her bottom line even more.
Shoplifting has been an ongoing problem for other stores as well.
Stefan Tergesen, fourth generation owner of longtime Gimli merchant H.P. Tergesen & Sons, says he's found ways to reduce thefts but hasn't been able been able to stop them completely.
He recently spent $13,000 upgrading the store's security system to give staff a better view of the entire store, and evidence if someone is caught.
Other things like greeting customers and making eye contact can also make a difference, he said.
"We're just constantly friendly with our customers and you know those people it's something … if you're friendly to someone they're less likely to steal from you," he said.
Some shoppers browsing the stores along the Gimli lakefront Monday said they worried about how theft could impact their favourite shops, too.
"These small businesses are struggling as it is, they sure don't need people coming in and stealing. But it's a problem everywhere," said Kim Peterson.