Shoplifting or “eatlifting”? It probably happens a lot more than we know. But now one Nanjing woman has been caught in the act. Namely, having a meal in a self-service convenience store and leaving without paying. Seven times.
Yesterday, 8 November, the Qinhuai District branch of Nanjing Public Security Bureau revealed that the lady in question had been stopped by the convenience store staff after she had eaten her fill and was ready to leave the shop.
That was on 18 October. It was then discovered that the same lady had in fact performed this bizarre theft a total of seven times prior, reports The Paper.
The lady, surnamed Fan, is unemployed, and has been all year. Due to her resulting financial constraints, she often went to the store to “look for food” when she was hungry. After quietly filling up, she each time left the shop when no one was paying attention.
For self service obviously meant something else altogether for Fan. In addition to helping herself to salmon, egg tarts, fruit, coffee and other foods, and then eating it all in the shop’s mini dining area, Fan would also sometimes even pack some to go.
When confronted by the shop staff, Fan was unwilling to pay for the items she had consumed and so staff had no choice but to call the police.
Officers from Huaihai Lu Police Station took the woman to the Station to process the investigation. Fan ultimately recognised her wrongdoing and promised to compensate the shop’s loss. At present, Fan has been administratively detained by the police on suspicion of theft.
But is this case just the tip of the iceberg? Ever since the rise of self checkouts in convenience stores and supermarkets all over the city, it was inevitable that this kind of theft would take place on an increasingly frequent basis.
It is perhaps the fact that Fan was so brazen about her in-store meals that meant she got away with it for so long. All in, Fan had managed to eat her way through ¥700 worth of convenience store food.
