An outspoken supermarket director on a one-man crusade to stop shoplifting at Australian supermarkets has issued a blunt message to filching families: if you can afford tattoos, you can afford groceries.
John-Paul Drake, the director of Drakes supermarkets in South Australia, went on Nine's Today on Tuesday morning to shame two shoppers who have allegedly stole hundreds of dollars' worth of meat at his Adelaide stores. In at least one incident, the couple had a young child present, according to the CCTV footage.
He said thieves targeting his business were increasingly purloining expensive cuts of meat, such as Wagyu beef, and becoming more creative with their tactics.
"There's a child involved – obviously we've blurred that out – but we have plenty of footage of parents teaching children how... I can't say steal but make things magically disappear, hence why we call them 'magicians'," he said. "It is one of the sad parts about it."
He added that it was difficult to be sympathetic towards thieves who could clearly afford unnecessary expenses, like tattoos or branded clothing, but chose not to put that money towards feeding themselves and their families.
"I've just got this theory that if you can afford tattoos and Foxtel, you can afford to buy food," he told Today.
The retail bigwig has cultivated a large following on social media, where he frequently shames shoplifters in Adelaide. Drake recently reproached the aforementioned couple in an Instagram video that featured CCTV footage of their alleged theft, which showed the duo appearing to hide their loot of meat under a large box disguised as a birthday present. A young child was also with them as the theft occurred.
"These 'magicians' must be super keen to deliver this gift to me - they've been spotted in Gawler, Gawler East, Salisbury North, Clovercrest and Golden Grove. DM [direct message] me their details so I can reschedule the delivery at a more convenient time," Drake claimed in the caption, sparking some push-back from viewers.
"Imagine bullying people that are just trying to survive, I hope more people shoplift from you," one commented.
Another agreed with Drake's stance, commenting: "They look like they can afford... tattoos, alcohol, cigarettes etc - but can’t afford groceries?"
"With my birthday just around the corner, I honestly thought they were trying to deliver me a present," Drake joked on Today.
"We're seeing an increase in the theft of high-priced items such as premium cuts of meat and health and beauty lines, and people are definitely getting more brazen and creative with their methods," he added.
"These aren't products being shoplifted by people who can't feed their families, but by people who are selling or exchanging the products for personal gain."
In April 2020, Drake made headlines for unleashing on a customer who attempted to return thousands of rolls of toilet paper when eBay shut down his price-gouging operation amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw many people hoarding essential household items.
The man allegedly asked his local Drakes if he could return 150 32-packs of toilet paper and 150 1 litre bottles of hand sanitiser for a refund - a move Drake publicly shamed via his YouTube channel.
