Theft on the rise at local hardware stores

(25 News Now) – Employees at a local hardware store recently stopped a big theft attempt, but the owners say that’s not always the case.

Big ticket items at Nena Hardware stores in Peoria and Morton were stolen recently, including a $2000 chair and a couple of expensive canopies.

That had employees on the lookout, and earlier this week, they caught a pair of would-be thieves who were acting suspiciously the day before.

The owner says even when smaller items are stolen, it can lead to big problems for the store.

“We have to identify that that item is missing. Sometimes a customer buys the last time, but in this case if they steal it, our system is not going to reorder it. So then, you have legitimate customers that are trying to shop at your store, and you’re out of stock of that item,” co-owner Anthony Nena said.

Nena adds a lot of reported thefts never get solved, even when the store owners know they have a suspect.

Copyright 2022 WEEK. All rights reserved.

Source Link