Undercover detective recruited after spate of thefts at charity shop

Monday 13 December 2021

The second-hand goods store run by Acorn has had to recruit an undercover store detective following a spate of thefts.

The Trinity-based Reuse shop, which sells everything from vinyl records to sofas, is a social enterprise, working with the Jersey Employment Trust to offer jobs to islanders with learning disabilities and long-term conditions.

But, despite its charitable purpose, the store has still sadly found itself the victim of shoplifting several times in recent months.

To help, one unsung hero has come to the rescue, offering to volunteer as a store detective. 

Announcing the move on its Facebook page: “Very sadly due to an ongoing issue we have with shoplifting at Acorn we now have a volunteer undercover store detective at Acorn who will be calling in at random during opening hours. We will update our signage to ensure that customers are aware in the shop.

“We obviously can't name the individual but we would like to express our thanks to the person for giving up their time to help and support us in trying to tackle the problem.”

The store also called out to other shoppers to be their “ears and eyes”, and let staff know if they see anything suspicious. 

On a compassionate note to the potential culprits, the team added: “If you are a person in crisis, we are very much a community organisation. If you need help to the point you need to shoplift from Acorn please do speak to a member of staff in confidence and if we can, we will support you, just as we do hundreds of people in our Jersey community.”

Meanwhile, the store is also urging islanders to have a rummage around their homes in case they happen to have a basket.

“On a similar subject, all of our baskets seem to have gone walkabout, if you have any Acorn baskets at home if you could bring these in when you next shop that would much appreciated.  Thank you!”