In Brooklyn’s Bensonhurst on Avenue U, the trend of “zero-cost shopping” has extended its reach. A Chinese medicine store near Avenue U and 12th Street fell victim to two African American teenagers who brazenly helped themselves to goods on the afternoon of August 27, leaving the store owners helpless.
According to the employees and owner Ken, the incident occurred around 3 p.m. on a Wednesday, when two African American teenagers in their early teens entered the store with backpacks. They discreetly placed several boxes of chocolates into their bags right under the watchful eyes of the staff, then strutted out of the store confidently.
Owner Ken lamented, “What can we do? Catch them and beat them up? The police can’t seem to do anything about them, so what can we do?” Another employee sighed, “This is how the law is now, what can we do?”
The Chinese medicine store is stocked with a variety of traditional Chinese herbs, some of which are expensive, and all products are openly displayed for easy access. Ken explained that they cannot lock up the products in glass cabinets like some Western supermarkets do, as it would hinder sales and customer access.
Ken pointed out that these two teenagers used to pass by the store frequently without making any purchases. This was the first time the store had encountered this “zero-cost shopping” phenomenon, but he disclosed that other businesses on Avenue U, such as bakeries and pastry shops, have also experienced similar incidents. With limited law enforcement and weak punitive measures, compounded by social factors, business owners are left to bear the losses with no recourse.