Former Vancouver Sportchek worker says she was fired after trying to stop shoplifter

A former Sportchek employee is speaking out after she was allegedly fired for trying to stop a shoplifter.

A former Sportchek employee is speaking out after she says she was fired for attempting to stop a shoplifter at the company’s Robson Street location in downtown Vancouver.

Aria Carter says she worked at the store for about three years before being terminated earlier this month. The incident, she says, happened when a store manager spotted a woman trying to leave with merchandise.

“As the lady was at the front carrying a bunch of items, I heard one of our managers say, ‘Oh stop, stop,’” Carter told CTV News. “I ran out after her, grabbed her by the backpack, and as [I was] pulling the backpack back, I was trying to like tug of war the other item out of her.”

Carter says she knows her actions violated Sportchek’s “No Touch/No Chase” policy, which prohibits staff from pursuing or physically confronting suspected shoplifters. But she believes she was ultimately fired because the confrontation was recorded by a bystander, claiming other employees and managers had broken the same rule without facing discipline.

Canadian Tire Corp., which owns Sportchek, said in a statement that the safety of its customers and employees “is always our top priority” but declined to comment on Carter’s claims, citing privacy.

“We follow a clear ‘No Touch/No Chase’ policy, which emphasizes keeping a safe distance from individuals,” the company said. “At select locations, including our Robson Street store, we have added external security support to further enhance safety. Employees also receive regular training to ensure familiarity with the policy, and we expect full compliance to maintain a safe environment for everyone.”

Carter says the shoplifting incident was just one of many troubling encounters during her time at the store. She says suspected thieves frequently returned, and in some cases, became aggressive.

“To have all of this happen and then being told just let them do it, essentially, like nothing’s being done, nothing is going to fix this,” she said. “They continue to learn to come back in.”

Carter says she endured both verbal and physical abuse on the job. In one video she shared with CTV News, a man spits in her face after being told to leave the store.

“It just degrades you and makes you feel awful the entire time you’re working there,” she said.

In another incident, also captured on video, Carter says a man tried to force his way inside after closing. When he refused to leave, she says things became physical.

“There’s people 18, 20 years old in the store,” she said. “I feel like if I let this man in, he might harm someone.”

Police say violent retail theft is on the rise in Vancouver.

Sgt. Steve Addison of the Vancouver Police Department says offenders have increasingly used weapons, including knives and needles, to intimidate staff and security guards.

“It’s a huge problem in our city,” Addison said. “People committing thefts [are] using things like knives, needles, physical force, other weapons to get past store staff and security to overcome resistance.”

In April, Vancouver city council passed a motion to create a task force aimed at addressing the root causes of thefts. The findings are expected this fall.