Shoppers at Prahran’s Coles may feel like they’re stepping into a dress rehearsal at the Sydney Opera House, but the soaring vocals outside are not part of a cultural festival – they’re part of a crime-fighting plan.
The Melbourne supermarket has turned to opera music in an effort to discourage loitering and deter petty theft, after the store gained an unfortunate reputation for light-fingered browsing.
With the approval of Stonnington Council, staff are now blasting grand arias from the entrance out onto Chapel Street – effectively telling would-be shoplifters: no stealing without a soundtrack.
Coles says Prahran is one of its most-targeted stores for theft, in line with a broader rise in retail crime across Australian shopping centres.
A reporter for The Age spent four hours at the store in September and observed a variety of attempts at theft – some thwarted, some surprisingly successful – many involving regular offenders who seem to view the place as their personal challenge course.
National retail theft figures underscore the trend.
In 2024, more than 800,000 incidents were lodged via the reporting platform Auror, roughly 30 per cent of them in Victoria.
However, Victoria Police recorded just 82,000 retail crime reports, pointing to a potential gap between what is happening and what is officially counted.
Meanwhile, police in Melbourne arrested 19 people in August linked to a theft syndicate, with eastern region Acting Inspector Rachele Ciavarella alleging they “are not only stealing for themselves, but they are part of a co-ordinated criminal enterprise profiting from stolen goods”.
If the idea of opera as a security system sounds unusual, it’s actually a classic tactic. In the 1980s and 90s, 7-Eleven stores in British Columbia piped Bach, Vivaldi and Mozart outside to politely usher teenage loiterers elsewhere.
By 1992, a Vancouver market manager said, “we haven’t had a problem with crowds in the last five years”.
Western Sydney embraced the strategy in 2015, when Blacktown Station played classical music across its concourse to nudge crowds away from the ticket gates.
“[The problematic] crowds have now dispersed and customers can easily access the barriers,” a Sydney Trains spokesperson said at the time – presumably over a calming concerto.
Even Los Angeles gave it a go in 2023, piping classical tunes into metro stations in hopes of creating a more pleasant public transport experience – and perhaps distracting from the gridlock outside.
So far, Coles says the Prahran performance is off to a harmonious start.
“Our customers and team members have responded very positively to this initiative, with many noting a relaxing and more welcoming environment into our store,” a Coles spokesman told The Age.
Whether the melodies will discourage crime long-term remains to be seen – but at least shoppers can pick up milk and bread with a side of Puccini.
Images: Shutterstock
