Steinbach thrift store robbed again 3 months after last theft

The owner of a Steinbach thrift store is considering shutting down his shop after it was robbed twice in three months.

Chris Giesbrecht, owner of Local Matters Thrift Store, located at Main Street and Lund Road, said he discovered the break-in on Jan. 23 at 9 a.m. His shop was previously robbed in November 2025, and this latest incident marks the fourth time items were stolen.

“If all I’m going to be doing is working here and letting people come in and just rob me blind, why bother continuing,” he said.

When he discovered the break-in, he described the shop as “ransacked.” Some of items stolen included 20 dresses, vintage collectable action figures and an airsoft gun. Giesbrecht said he’s finding more items have gone missing on a daily basis.

The Carillon previously reported the thrift store’s donation piggy bank, holding roughly $500, was stolen, among other items, in November. Giesbrecht said he replaced it with a “nice, big, beautiful” silver piggy bank, but that was also swiped in the latest theft.

Before the robbery, he spent $1,000 on a stronger door and was in the process of putting up new cameras, a measure too late to catch the recent thieves.

He reported the theft to the Steinbach RCMP the same day as the theft, but said he hasn’t seen an officer arrive at the shop more than a week later.

RCMP Sgt. Joanne Ryll said officers are still investigating the break-in and no arrests have been made. In an emailed statement she said the uspects left no evidence and appeared to have entered through the front door.

Following the break-in, he said his faith in the RCMP is gone and feels he’s on his own to deal with the thefts.

“We have to protect ourselves. The city doesn’t really care, and the RCMP are either too busy or understaffed,” he said.

Giesbrecht said he’s given up on taking his concerns to the city because it’s previously “fallen on deaf ears.”

If no change happens, he said shopkeepers and businesses will have to fend for themselves.

“Steinbach has become a city in the worst sense of it,” he said. “We’re not doing enough to keep up with it.”

Insurance deductibles have become too expensive with each theft, which adds to the discouragement, he said. Since much of his items are donated, its difficult to properly insure everything, he added.

Giesbrecht said he’s planning on applying for the province’s security rebate program.

In Dec. 11, Manitoba launched its $10-million rebate program to help businesses improve security. Businesses can receive up to $2,500 in funding for security upgrades and repairs, including window protection, alarm systems and motion detectors.

He never thought he would need to rely on provincial funding to ward off criminals, but said the money would be a helpful boost.

Mayor Earl Funk said he was sad to hear news of the break-in. He said the private security patrols have been sent to the area when responding to the November theft.

“It’s horribly demoralizing when one company keeps getting hit all of the time,” Funk said. “I really feel so bad for Chris.”

Steinbach’s city council voted in November to continue its security patrol project through the remainder of this year. Steinbach Security Services was hired on to do nightly patrols on July 2 to fill the gap left by RCMP staffing shortages.

Funk said Steinbach has applied for a provincial community safety grant to install more security cameras.