The owner of a Metro Vancouver vintage clothing shop has had enough and is speaking out after rampant theft, which has her questioning being a business owner altogether.
Stoxx Vintage is a Black-owned, family-run vintage shop in Vancouver’s Kingsgate Mall. It also has locations in Burnaby’s Metrotown and Nanaimo and has been open for around five years.
Tricia Hill explained how frustrating it is to run a business you love and to feel like quitting because of the lack of action and justice when her store gets robbed.
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Burnaby RCMP told Daily Hive that it is indeed investigating a theft at the Burnaby location. There’s also footage of the most recent incident at the Burnaby location on Stoxx’s Instagram page, which happened just days ago:
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When speaking to Hill, it was clear she cares deeply about her business and is growing increasingly frustrated about theft and the demographics who are responsible, particularly the younger crowd. Hill explained there’s a lot of grab-and-go theft taking place, with many people under 30 behind the crimes.
Police told Hill it’s been happening a lot in the mall.
Business owners like Hill have limited options for this type of crime.
“In talking to security, they can’t do anything,” Hill told Daily Hive.
During one incident, Hill found herself physically wrestling a stolen item out of someone’s hand. Hill feels her reports aren’t taken seriously, and she has had enough. During the most recent incident at the Burnaby location, she said the person behind the theft was wearing Jordan shoes and other generally high-priced clothing.
“If I didn’t have video surveillance, they wouldn’t be coming. It’s just an online report, and then nothing happens.”
“We are losing a lot of money every month,” Hill said, blaming theft. With the economy putting even more pressure on businesses like Hills, she doesn’t have the resources to add any more security.
Some businesses in Vancouver have closed due to crime and theft, which isn’t out of the question for Stoxx. Hill told Daily Hive, “It is a threat.”
“I have some friends who have closed their stores because of theft,” Hill said. Hill referenced friends who have had stores where the windows have been smashed, and the cost to get those replaced adds up on top of already thin margins.
Right now, Hill is seeking justice and hopes that whoever was responsible for the most recent theft is caught. If anyone has information about it, they can contact Stoxx directly.
“As a human being, the emotional toll from what’s happening in the world is taking on me and then having to be fighting to run a business, and fighting to keep my goods in the store so that people pay for them and they don’t take them.”
Running this business is a labour of love for Hill, but she wants action.
“I’m just disappointed. And I really would like some justice, because it happens all the time.”