Canberra's Woolworths have the supermarket chain's highest shoplifting rate across the country, with high-priced baby formula one of the most stolen items.
The national capital's 15 supermarkets had the highest national average theft rate per store over the past 12 months, each store recording an average of more than $1.1 million in stolen items.
Among the hardest hit were the Woolies stores in Dickson and at Majura.
The Northern Territory, which has slightly fewer supermarkets than Canberra, came in second but with a far lower average store loss.
Woolworths reported that 5.27 million items were stolen across all its Canberra stores over the 12 months at a cost to the multinational company of $16.27 million.
Each ACT store recorded an average shoplifting loss of $351,358, or nearly $30,000 per month per store.
More populous states such as Victoria and NSW recorded higher unit losses but these were spread across a far greater number of stores. Woolworths supermarkets across NSW, for instance, recorded combined losses of $217 million, but this was spread across the state's 287 stores.
Supermarket shoplifters in Canberra specifically targeted baby formula more so than any other of its stores elsewhere in the country, the Woolworths data has revealed.
Baby formula accounted for more than $18,000 worth of formula stolen per local Woolies supermarket over the past 12 months, more than double that of Victoria's average store loss of the product.
An average of 739 tins of formula were stolen from the 15 ACT stores in the 12 months period, or more than 15 per week at each store.
ACT police and Woolworths store detectives have been conducting a number of targeted operations across Canberra in the past month.
Working with loss prevention officers (LPOs) from Woolworths, Big W, Dan Murphy's and Coles, members from the Territory Targeting Team conducted plain-clothes operations at several shopping precincts.
On June 7, police and LPOs targeted shopping centres at Majura and Dickson.
During this operation three people were arrested for theft, with one of these offenders also charged for possessing a knife and another for breaching a good behaviour order. Police also issued 12 cautions for theft offences.
A week later, the operation shifted to the Canberra Centre, where two people were arrested - one for theft, the other for breach of bail - while a further six people were issued cautions for theft.
Detective Inspector Stephen Ladd said these operations were a timely reminder to thieves that "shoplifting may seem like a harmless offence, but it is still a crime and police will continue to target this type of offending".
He added the cost of shoplifting adds to the cost of all retail goods.
"Police and retailers will continue to work together to address this crime type with further operations expected," he said.
The latest Woolworths data underscores concerns raised by analysts and social researchers that surging living costs - from grocery shelf prices to power bills to mortgages - will drive up crime.
Woolworths and Coles ring up two-thirds of Australian grocery sales and both have recorded rising theft rates this year.
Coles chief operating officer Matt Swindells said in February the company was experiencing "elevated theft" and was investing in staff training and technology to counteract it. However, when contacted Coles said it was not its corporate practice to talk about theft.
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