“It’s frustrating,” says Martin Greul, operator of a self-service farm shop in Ansfelden. His store had been robbed by a suspected thief who bagged about 100 euros worth of groceries, but ‘forgot’ to pay. The police have been informed and are asking for information.
Honesty is the best policy! An unknown woman recently didn’t seem to have thought much about this saying. She apparently shamelessly abused the principle of self-service and filled her suitcases in Ansfelden’s pantry without paying.
Woman was behaving strangely
“There was another customer in her store and her behavior immediately struck him as ‘Spanish’,” says Martin Greul, who, together with his wife Beatrice, sells Grüblhof products and regional dishes through this self-service store.
Item not paid for
“The other customer even waited outside the store and spoke to the alleged thief. “She just said ‘I don’t care’ and then fled on foot,” said Greul, who was immediately informed by the customer. On the surveillance camera you see how the stranger packs dairy products, meat and pastries and leaves the farm shop without paying.
About 100 euros in damage
The operators have reported the incident to the police, who are now looking for the woman and asking for information. At the same time, the Greuls are also searching for the suspected thief via social media – unfortunately without success so far. For the time being, they are left with damage of around 100 euros.
“Zero percent rating”
“We work in the company 365 days a year and sell high-quality products from local producers. A lot of love and craftsmanship is involved. When this is shamelessly exploited and rated at zero percent, it is very frustrating. “But we remain optimistic that the thief will be found and the damage will be compensated,” says Greul.
Self-service is booming! Whether in hardware stores or furniture stores. The lack of staff or new business models mean that customers increasingly have to help themselves – including at the checkout.
Clearly there are black sheep on the move here. Major retail chains have probably factored in the resulting losses, but thefts are certainly more difficult for farm shops to deal with. Anyone who puts their heart and soul into running a small business sees this – rightly – as a loss of confidence, potentially resulting in store closures or higher prices. The bottom line is that everyone has to pay for it, even those who always pay well.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
