The 25-year-old owner of a Petaling Jaya sundry shop says she loses about RM12,000 ($5083.20) to shoplifters each year.

Shoplifters come between 5pm and 8pm, the shop's peak period, as they have learnt that the staff will be too busy to notice them, she says.

"They pick what they want and keep them in a corner of a shelf. When the coast is clear, they will scoop the items into their pockets."

Manan says the shoplifters, usually university students, tend to steal toothpaste, shampoo and sweets.

The young adults, aged 19 to 25, do not appear to be alarmed by the shop's closed-circuit television cameras.

Manan and her staff are always on the alert if a busload of youngsters arrive at the shop.

The more customers there are in the shop, the harder it is to catch the thieves red-handed. "We are too busy attending to customers to monitor the shoplifters."

The moment of truth usually comes during stock take at the end of the month.

"We only know we have been hit after we find the accounts do not balance."

She will then view the CCTV recordings.

"I have got used to being taken advantage of. I wish it did not happen but I can't always catch them."