New England Booksellers Confront Shoplifting

Each new season brings changes in hemlines, baby names, and books being published … and shoplifted. Many New England booksellers are finding that blockbuster bestsellers are very high on the lists of books most stolen from independent stores. The problem of shoplifting is a constant one for retailers, but some New England Booksellers Association (NEBA) members have recently noticed changes in the quantity and types of books stolen from their stores. Some booksellers see a possible link between the rapid proliferation of online consignment bookselling and the rise in thefts of multiple copies of popular books. Rusty Drugan, NEBA executive director, told BTW that on the association's listserve, only open to members, shoplifting has become a hot topic and was among the subjects discussed at this month's NEBA Shop Talk, on August 14, in Dartmouth, New Hampshire.

Drugan, drawing on his previous experience as a bookseller, told BTW that although shoplifting is a perennial concern, it often comes in waves. "Years ago, we had such a big problem [with shoplifting] that I hired a private detective. The cost of preventing shoplifting can be more than the shoplifting itself." Also, security measures to prevent theft are often antithetical to the atmosphere many independent stores want to maintain. "We can tell people to always be looking [for thieves] and, at the same time, to always give excellent customer service," he commented, "but in a small store it can be impossible to do both." And different regions offer very different codes of acceptable retail behavior. In a large city, Drugan noted, "searching or checking bags at the door may be perfectly okay, but in the small towns of New England, that wouldn't fit the culture. Checking bags might also sacrifice customer service too greatly."

Booksellers noted the irony that the upsurge of megahits, such as Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Living History by Hillary Clinton, are creating a bigger market for thieves. "As books have become a hotter item, they are more attractive to thieves and more readily saleable," said Drugan.

Willard Williams, owner of three Toadstool Bookstores in New Hampshire, told BTW, "[This recent spike in thefts] started a few months ago, with someone taking bestsellers in quantities from all three of our stores. It's especially frustrating because it was not just single obscure books, but ones that were likely being taken and resold like The Da Vinci Code or anything on a bestseller list. We don't feature bestsellers in any way -- so people must have been operating with shopping lists. A book like The South Beach Diet is shelved with diet books -- people knew exactly what they were looking for. The Life of Pi is a fairly literary novel -- and even before it was picked by the Good Morning America book club, 13 copies of the paperback were stolen in one fell swoop.

Booksellers have theories about where these books are going, said Williams. "I don't know what's happening to them. It seems to point to people selling them online … or even [through] a storefront that deals exclusively in stolen books. I'm pretty sure they are not going to used-book stores -- not in those quantities. That is why this is kind of shocking. In the past, someone wanted a specific book and didn't have the money to pay for it -- so they stole a copy. Now, it seems, we are dealing with people who are professionals. We've been losing about $100 a day in each store."

Other booksellers agree that stolen books are likely ending up sold at great discounts on Web sites.

According to Drugan, it's possible that stolen books are showing up online, because "these books aren't vetted. Once, you could go down to a used-book shop and see if any of your stolen stock was there. Books could be marked. It's a crime to knowingly receive stolen books. It's a serious charge."

All booksellers interviewed agreed that apprehending and prosecuting shoplifters is a frustrating business.

Louisa Solano, owner of Grolier Poetry Book Shop in Cambridge, Massachusetts, told BTW, "I have asked for police details -- none become available because the shop is so small, and there are two blind spots even with my security camera."

Most booksellers contacted have security systems in place, or plan to install them soon, but that doesn't end the problems. Solano said, "The shoplifters have done enormous harm to my shop. I bought a new [security]system ... with the guarantee that the labels were not removable…. I can remove them in 30 seconds -- any good shoplifter can in probably 10."

"We are now putting out single copies [of bestsellers]," said Williams. "We don't want to have a suspicious and intimidating atmosphere. I am not comfortable with that. Possibly with a security system, we won't have to scrutinize everyone. Those who don't intend to take anything can ignore the cameras." --Nomi Schwartz