Nor are they in a position to absorb the financial loss that has affected so many.

Northern Ireland is witnessing the highest level of theft on record – and these are just the incidents that are being reported. A five here and a ten there can add up over the course of weeks, and by the end of a year thousands of pounds worth of goods could be going out the doors.

The escapees may take great pleasure in getting something for nothing, but it is the law-abiding citizens, the vast majority of us, who end up paying the price. When store profits are hit, the difference is normally made up by an increase in the prices we pay.

There were almost 10,000 incidents of theft reported to police in the year to April. The scale of the epidemic was highlighted in September by George Weston, the boss of giants Primark, who said the total cost to the business was even higher than the £70m bill across the company’s 191 UK stores.

And with Christmas fast approaching, the temptation will be even greater, with some stores already taking precautions by moving closer to exit doors, where staff can keep a closer eye on would-be criminals.

Along with this temptation is the growing awareness that it is perceived as an easy crime to get away with. All the ingredients are there for a pre-holiday heist, when crowded stores make it even more difficult to identify a crime in progress.

The police say they are “dedicated to combating business crime”. But the PSNI can only employ the resources it has.

The onus to protect stock, especially in small independent stores, lies with the owners and staff themselves. They need all the help they can get.

While it shouldn’t be up to us as customers to show that we value our merchants, being considerate and having a quiet word with staff if we notice someone helping themselves would go a long way.

Shoplifters don’t just rob the business community, they rob us all. Handing them in quietly, rather than turning that blind eye elsewhere, can help turn the tide in favor of the hard-pressed retailers we want to see stay on our high streets.

Standing by and allowing the thieves of the world to band together and take over will do no one any good