A TikTok user shared video of an attempted shoplifting at Pak'nSave Tamatea in Napier.
Video / Supplied
A video of a woman with a crying baby trying to shunt a trolley full of goods out of a Napier supermarket without paying is an example of the “sad reality” staff are seeing more frequently, Foodstuffs says.
The woman was stopped on Monday trying to leave Pak’nSave Tamatea with a trolley full of goods, including nappies.
An uncomfortable video shared on TikTok by a concerned bystander shows the woman attempting to push the trolley past two female staff members as a baby screams in the trolley seat.
The woman was known to the supermarket and was allegedly trespassed last year for another shoplifting incident.
Foodstuffs, which owns Pak’nSave, confirmed she walked off with the child and left the trolley behind after being stopped.
“Supermarkets are on the front line of the rising trend of retail crime, and it’s a sad reality that incidents such as shoplifting, assault and other aggressive behaviour are becoming more frequent,” a Foodstuffs spokeswoman said.
“[On Monday] an individual, who is currently trespassed from Pak’nSave Tamatea, attempted to exit the store without paying for her groceries.
“She has been trespassed from the store following a similar shoplifting incident last year.
“Our two team members held on to the trolley and asked her to pay for the groceries.
“The customer responded aggressively towards our two team members and swore at them while continuing to shunt the trolley into them, with her baby in the seat of the trolley.
“Our team members repeatedly requested that the trespassed person remove the baby from the trolley seat.
“Eventually she walked off with the baby and both were unharmed.
The incident happened at Pak'nSave Tamatea in Napier.
“The team members and nearby customers were naturally shaken up by the incident.”
Foodstuffs confirmed the matter has been reported to police. The woman has been trespassed from the store until May 2025.
A police spokeswoman asked people who witnessed shoplifting to call 111 and, if it was safe to do so, take down the registration number of a vehicle they may get into.
“Police in Hawke’s Bay are continuing to investigate and target recidivist retail crime offenders,” the police spokeswoman said.
Napier Family Centre has been operating for 40 years offering financial support and mentorship, as well as a range of other support services, for about 2000 clients each year.
While she could not speak to this particular incident and in no way supported shoplifting, Napier Family Centre CEO Kerry Henderson said generally speaking, it was tough at present “to put food on the table for everyday Hawke’s Bay residents.
“We have had a huge increase in referrals for food [support] and KiwiSaver hardship withdrawals have doubled - the cost of living crisis is really impacting everyone,” Henderson said.
“Our budgeting manager was around during the 2008 recession and we feel this recession has hit a bit quicker and harder.
“It is going to be a real long burn and challenging environment for our clients over the next couple of years.
“And not only will it have an impact on lower socio-economic [demographics], but it is actually having an impact on all whanau and socioeconomic demographics, from beneficiaries to wage workers to self-employed [workers].
“We are seeing a lot more people coming in for food parcels.
“We have provided 418 food parcels just in the last nine months - the last year [prior] for the entire year we had done 353. So there is a huge need out there.”
They work closely with Nourish for Nil and the Salvation Army, who she said had also seen increased demand for food donations and support in Hawke’s Bay.
