Larceny in the Aisles

As a young grocery store manager back in the early nineties, Mark Scamman was involved with a variety of shoplifting incidents, approximately two hundred and fifty in his first five years in management. The idea of stealing from a grocery store struck a nerve with him. It soon became apparent that shoplifting was a common occurrence not limited to gender, age, race, or social standing.

Mark had witnessed shoplifting when he was working his way up through the ranks, but not to the degree he saw when he began looking for shoplifters in earnest. Over the years, Mark told his friends and family members shoplifting stories. Some made them laugh, some made them cry, and some just made them angry. He started to document the tales, thinking someday he would compile them in a book.

For Christmas 2020, Mark got a Chromebook laptop-much better than pencil and paper. Larceny in the Aisles shares his experiences and his hopes for change that will better protect retailers from theft.