When you think of small businesses that might be targeted by theft, your mind likely goes right to luxury goods like jewelry or watches. However, a new string of robberies is putting a whole new category of small businesses on notice – toy and hobby shops that sell Legos.
Over the last few months, six Bricks & Minifigs stores across Southern California have been broken into. Thieves stole several Lego kits, which are worth more than $100,000 total. And last year, a Tempe, Arizona woman faced charges for allegedly stealing $17,000 worth of Lego kits from Target stores.
Security camera footage of one theft in Ontario, California, showed two men going through the store and collecting thousands of dollars worth of kits in just 42 seconds.
The store’s owner, Shauna Garcia, recently told CBS News affiliate KCAL News, “It was really fast. They knew exactly what they were looking for and where it was in the store because they’d done their homework ahead of time.”
Lego kits might seem like a surprising target to some; but these items can be worth thousands of dollars and have an active resale market. They’re also often sold at independently-owned franchises or family businesses that don’t have the security measures in place that large chains or those selling luxury goods have come to rely on.
Cathy Chrisman, co-owner of a Bricks and Minifigs franchise in central Phoenix, recently told FOX 10 Phoenix, “It’s frustrating that people would rob businesses, family businesses, for their own gain.”
Chrisman’s store fortunately hasn’t experienced this level of theft. However, they’ve still put extra security measures in place, since they understand the heightened demand for certain products. Unfortunately, many other small businesses selling this type of high value item may also need to invest in added security to combat this trend.
And even for those that don’t sell Lego kits, it’s clear that there are plenty of savvy individuals out there who are willing to step outside the norm to make a quick profit on stolen goods. So safeguarding high value items of any type may become a necessity for many businesses.
Image: Envato
