It was just a few years ago that thieves would shamelessly snatch up booze bottles by the armful and storm out of Winnipeg Liquor Marts, often threatening store employees and customers who watched in disgust, and in one extreme case, even assaulting three workers.
Statistics released by Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries show just how much the addition of controlled entrances to many of its 63 outlets has robbed thieves of their pilfering opportunity.
Since the security measure was introduced at Liquor Marts in Winnipeg and other Manitoba communities in 2020, thefts and robberies have plummeted.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES
Liquor Marts ended a theft epidemic by posting security at the entrance and requiring customers to present ID to enter.
MLL said the number of thefts and robberies — defined as thefts with either violence or the threat of violence — reached a high of 15,557 thefts and 226 robberies between April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020.
It dropped to 1,212 thefts and 12 robberies in the fiscal year that ended March 31, 2024.
“While no retail environment can ever eliminate theft completely, what we are seeing now at Liquor Marts is more akin to traditional shoplifting, rather than the brazen, more threatening thefts we were seeing throughout 2018 and 2019,” said Shawn McGurk, the Crown corporation’s director of corporate security, in a statement.
“The safety and well-being of our employees and customers has always been, and remains, our top priority and being able to return Liquor Marts to a safe working and shopping environment was why controlled entrances were implemented.
“There are no plans to remove this feature.”
During that peak year, a violent robbery at the Tyndall Park Liquor Mart on Nov. 20, 2020, included attacks on three female employees, one of whom was knocked unconscious and rushed to hospital in critical condition.
A few months later, a 15-year-old received the maximum sentence of three years in custody for his part in the violent robbery after pleading guilty to several charges, including assault and robbery.
A week following the violent incident, that Liquor Mart reopened after a controlled entrance had been installed. They were later installed in other Winnipeg stores as well as larger centres across the province.
At the controlled entrance, patrons are required to show valid photo identification, which is scanned, before they are allowed through a second set of sealed doors into the retail area.
The information that’s scanned is encrypted and kept in a server in Calgary where access is restricted unless police need to see it.
MLL says the increased security has not resulted in an increase in prices, while it says on its website that “surveys and feedback show employees and customers agree with our approach and are strongly in favour of maintaining a safe working and shopping experience.”
Kyle Ross, president of the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union, said he’s pleased the number of thefts and robberies is down.
“During the time of those thefts, it was really hard for our members,” Ross said. “Some were injured. It was a very difficult time.
“Thefts are no longer the norm and we’re very happy they are very more infrequent than they were. At least now our workers are not being injured or threatened on the job.”
John Graham of the Retail Association of Canada says while the tactic has worked at Liquor Marts, it isn’t necessarily feasible for other retail outlets.
“Their controlled entrances have been very effective in reducing crime but, as a monopoly, they don’t have the risk of losing business,” Graham said.
“If another retailer or a store did it, it could impact their success. Certain small stores lock their front door and open it when a customers comes, but that is when a store has significantly less customer traffic.”
Graham said installing a controlled entrance, whether for an individual store or even a large shopping mall, would cost a lot of money and negatively affect the customer experience, potentially driving them away to competitors.
“The challenge too is while the Liquor Marts are effective in reducing theft, there’s a belief it pushes it to other places… it impacts other businesses.”
Graham said instead of a bottle of liquor being sold on the street to get cash to buy drugs, now thieves target grocery stores to steal expensive meat and cheese.
Graham said retailers would stop short of putting in too many anti-theft controls if it affected the shopping experience.
“You don’t want to have a disproportionate response to crime,” he said.
“Part of the fun and pleasure of retail shopping is you are able to see that display instead of on a computer. We don’t want to overreact to crime at the expense of presenting this warm, welcoming retail environment.”
kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
Kevin Rollason
Reporter
Kevin Rollason is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He graduated from Western University with a Masters of Journalism in 1985 and worked at the Winnipeg Sun until 1988, when he joined the Free Press. He has served as the Free Press’s city hall and law courts reporter and has won several awards, including a National Newspaper Award. Read more about Kevin.
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