A TikTok trend encouraging people to shoplift cost a Galway shop over €400,000 last year, according to a local councillor

The ‘shoplifting challenge’ asks TikTok users to simply steal as much as they can from a business without being caught. 

According to Galway City Councillor and business owner Niall McNeill, the majority of shops on the city’s high street said they are facing an “unbelievable amount of shoplifting”. 

“One store told us that they had lost €400,000 worth of stock last year,” he said. 

'They're middle-class kids'

Cllr McNeill said the age and profile of the shoplifters is especially “worrying”. 

“They’re between the ages of 13 and 16,” he said. “They come into town with a small bit of pocket money but they're going home with all the lip-gloss, new make-up, new jackets and hats. 

“And it’s the profile of the kids - they’re middle-class kids, they’re all very capable.” 

Several TikTok videos show the trend being described as "borrowing".

Splitscreen of an anonymous account taking part in the TikTok shoplifting trend. Image: TikTok

Many of the young people taking part in this trend are “good kids”, according to Cllr McNeill – but they need to understand the impact their videos have. 

“They don’t see any harm in it,” he said. “It’s a bit of fun to them. 

“They don’t see the harm they’ve done and the fact they’re damaging the businesses with the huge costs involved. 

“One store told me they had 13 arrests over a period of two days, and all they can do then is ring up the Gardaí where we know resources are at an all-time low.” 

Zero-tolerance

Children need to be aware there are consequences to shoplifting beyond a short video they can share online with friends. 

“Some of the stores have decided they’re going to have a zero-tolerance policy,” he said. 

“For every single person caught, they wait for the Gardaí to come, and it could be up to an hour or an hour and a half. 

He said many businessowners are looking into installing new technology in their shops that can catch and record “regular faces” attempting to shoplift. 

Parents

Cllr McNeill said many parents are unaware of their children’s shoplifting hobby until they are caught. 

“Parents really need to have this conversation with their kids,” he said. 

“They need to question, when they come home with all that extra stuff that didn't have the money for, where did they get the stuff from. 

“The parent is the guardian, and they need to make sure their child understands right and wrong.”