(CBS) — Chicago police are investigating a bold and massive shoplifting scheme.

They walk into a store like any other shopper, only they have no plans to pay.

In fact, they grab what they want and suddenly take off.

But as CBS 2’s Mike Parker reports, the thieves were not expecting a store employee to put up such a fight.

A dozen or so people came to the Grand Crossing neighborhood K & G clothing store, but not in search of advertised bargains. They came to steal, as a pack, and in broad daylight.

Surveillance video show a brazen robbery. The men and women bring their own shopping bags into the store and fill them up, then simply walk out of the store. The store is busy at the time and only one sales clerk catches on to what’s happening. He tries to stop one man at the door, and there’s a brief scuffle.

A few minutes later, a group of female thieves walks away, but the employee surprises them. He grabs one of their bags and then tosses it back into the store.

Every shoplifter gets away — one of them at high speed.

“We were able to retrieve $2,200 worth of merchandise, but we’re estimating that they walked away with at least $1,200 worth of merchandise,” store manager Celestine Williams says.

Chicago police say this is an isolated incident.

This particular store had no security on duty at the time of the crime.