Self-checkout theft surges to $10B as organized crime targets retailers

Retailers face rising losses as self-checkout theft grows more brazen, with some cases linked to organized crime. Adrian Ghobrial reports.

TORONTO - The Retail Council of Canada is calling grocery store theft a national crisis, with losses now approaching $10 billion annually across the grocery sector and it’s only growing.

The rise is due to more than people stealing an apple. According to multiple sources who spoke to CTV National News, organized crime is now also involved.

In an email to CTV News, the Retail Council of Canada says that “grocery theft is rising in Canada, driven by a mix of economic pressure and increasingly organized retail crime. While affordability challenges are real for many Canadians, what retailers are seeing more of is coordinated, repeat theft tied to organized networks,” the statement read.

“Eastern European organized crime has certainly been involved, and this isn’t just a big city problem, it’s happening straight across the country,” says CTV News crime specialist, Mark Mendelson.

RCMP in Richmond, B.C., say supermarket theft has doubled in the city so far in 2026 compared to the same period last year.

“We have analysts and when they see a spike like this, we have meetings every week, so this is something we’re looking at and it’s definitely on our radar,” shares RCMP Cpl. Frank Bryson.

In January, Ottawa Police conducted “project pantry” at a downtown independent grocer, officers in uniform and undercover investigators eventually arrested a dozen people and laid 78 charges. Police in the nation’s capital believe some thefts there do appear to be coordinated.

“People are running away, going to a car right away and giving that product to whoever’s in the car, in exchange for something. Its either drugs or money,” according to Ottawa Police Chief, Eric Stubbs who spoke to CTV News about the “project pantry” in January.

Self-checkout thefts

Authorities have also flagged some self-checkout counters, inside grocery stores as areas where criminals are taking advantage of security gaps.

This month, Guelph police arrested a man who they claim swapped out expensive products for cheaper ones at self-checkouts. Police claim that the individual in question, would scan items that cost less than one dollar, in exchange for baby formula priced at $97 dollars each.

“I’ve seen thefts at the self-checkout happen right in front of me. You’re used to hearing a beeping noise then all of a sudden, the beeping stops but items continue to go into the bag. Walmart in the United States is pulling self-checkouts from their stores. The losses are becoming too much to handle,” says Mendelson.

Just last August, in Windsor, Ont. more than $220,000 worth of beef was stolen from a parked tractor trailer. The large-scale heist is another example of lucrative grocery crimes on the rise.

There are differing opinions on where items like black market beer are ending up. Mendelson and others who spoke to CTV News believe that some restaurants struggling to turn a profit are likely purchasing stolen goods. In some cases, smaller grocery stores and restaurants might not even realize they’re purchasing stolen food for their establishments.