Teens share shock ‘how-to’ shoplifting guides at Coles, Woolworths and more

By HARRISON CHRISTIAN FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Published: 06:32 BST, 26 April 2025 | Updated: 06:51 BST, 26 April 2025

Aussie teenagers are taking to social media to show off hauls of allegedly shoplifted goods – and to share tips for how to steal from all of the big name stores.

The videos of the assorted goods are referred to as ‘racking hauls’ and include jewellery, clothes, cosmetics, stationery and food.

Some videos even went so far as to offer tips for how to shoplift. 

Viewers were encouraged to choose Woolworths or Coles as they were ‘easy targets’ and warned Myer had stricter policies than other stores. 

‘Myer have different polices to Kmart or Woolies,’ one user said.

‘They will follow you wherever you go and they might even get physical, that’s not normally allowed for big companies but because Myer is so high-end branded they do.’

The videos also told viewers what type of bag to use, how to dress, and how to take items without detection.

‘If you’re in a shop, and they make an announcement over the intercom saying something about “check the cameras’ quickly” and calmly leave the store. They may have seen you take something,’ one TikTok user wrote. 

Viewers of the ‘racking hauls’ were encouraged to choose ‘easy targets’ Woolworths or Coles

‘If security is following you, just calmly and slowly walk away and try to lose them (go to the toilet). If your security tag does go off, just keep walking calmly. Don’t run and be obvious.’

Some users described their activities as ‘fake’, ‘borrowing’, or ‘role playing’ to avoid detection by the TikTok algorithm.

A spokeswoman for TikTok said the content was in breach of the platform’s guidelines. 

‘A proactive sweep of the platform has resulted in the removal of additional accounts and videos, and we have banned certain hashtags related to this activity,’ she said. 

Many posts appeared to have been taken down on Saturday, but a search for ‘racking’ videos in Australia still returned several videos. 

A Coles spokesperson told the Courier Mail it was working with police to investigate people who were allegedly boasting about shoplifting on social media. 

‘We are deeply concerned by the recent trend on social media, encouraging illegal activity. We take the safety and security of our team members and customers very seriously, and we are actively working with police on this issue,’ they said. 

‘While most of our customers do the right thing, unfortunately a small number don’t.’ 

The assorted goods are referred to as ‘racking hauls’ and include jewellery, clothes, cosmetics, stationery and food

Some described the hauls as ‘fake’ or ‘role playing’ to avoid detection by the TikTok algorithm

Woolworths said the supermarket giant had a ‘number of initiatives that we use, both covert and overt, to help reduce retail crime’. 

‘These initiatives include the use of camera technology at the check-outs, double welcome gates, CCTV and a trial of gates at the exit to our self-serve checkout area,’ a spokesperson said.

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Teens share shock ‘how-to’ shoplifting guides at Coles, Woolworths and more

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