• @WamGams@lemmy.ca
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    351 year ago

    In the self checkout I watched a man with his children have his card rejected, so he just walked out with the food.

    The security guards came up to ask me if I knew what way the man went.

    I pointed up in the air to the security camera dome and said, “he sort of went that way, boys.”

    • @brbposting@sh.itjust.works
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      71 year ago

      Massive store near me remodeled about two years ago with a focus on tons of new self checkouts.

      Recently, all have been closed.

      Surprised that so much walked out the doors via self checkouts that it’s cheaper to pay employees and take whatever aggregate losses there might be from higher wait times!

      That is to say, the man with his children apparently wasn’t the only one.

      UBI now!

      • @Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
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        41 year ago

        Self-checkouts were so convenient, now they’ve had some of them gated and some just closed down because people kept stealing. Sucks.

        • @VirtualOdour@sh.itjust.works
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          51 year ago

          They’re amazing here, we don’t have proshoplifting communities though it’s generally looked down upon so it’s not quiet the dystopia America seems to be. I love being able to get in and out without pausing my podcast.

          • @Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
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            1 year ago

            I’m from Finland. Things are pretty good here but it still happens, self-checkouts were scaled down because of theft. Teens and junkies being two big groups, from what I’ve heard from people working with self-checkouts. Sucks even more that this isn’t happening because people are stealing to eat or something.

      • @WamGams@lemmy.ca
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        31 year ago

        Costco appears to have even abandoned it, and for reference, the customers not only pay to be there but on average has a household income over $70k.

        The frog boiling point might not be here yet, but when is it? When people making over a hundred k are willing to risk it all to steal?

  • @frickineh@lemmy.world
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    621 year ago

    None of these companies are worried about me when they jack their prices up while people are struggling. I don’t know why I would ever give a shit about them. I’m just here to buy moisturizer and stay in my lane.

      • @Riven@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        221 year ago

        See you’re assuming they wouldn’t jack up the prices even without theft, as someone who studied business it’s literally taught to see how far you can push before the breaking point. line go up. It does suck in undeserved communities but there’s not much we can do, people in those communities often vote against their best interest.

        • @LaLuzDelSol@lemmy.world
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          11 year ago

          The breaking point, though, is the point when consumers will look to alternatives, e.g. a different store. As long as there are other options available, competition does usually do a decent job of keeping prices down.

          • @voracitude@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            And companies in a free market would never, ever collude to keep prices high in the face of that very competition you think will keep prices down, right? In fact that’s exactly what we’re seeing right now, is prices being kept down by the absolutely healthy competition in the Canadian grocery market, right?

            • @LaLuzDelSol@lemmy.world
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              11 year ago

              Look collusion is a thing, but it’s illegal. Grocery stores, even the big chains in the US anyways are pretty cutthroat, they aren’t making huge profits they’re fighting to survive vs Amazon and the like. Anyways my point is that the claim that costs don’t affect prices (and therefore losses from theft don’t affect prices) is just silly.

      • @Grimy@lemmy.world
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        131 year ago

        Prices go up regardless of wage increases or thefts. Prices are coupled with only one thing and that is corporate greed.

      • @melpomenesclevage@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        if the community couldn’t afford it, they were being exploited not served. dont pretend these people are being supported by these corporations.

        if the prices go up, you should steal too. market pressures, babe.

        if this isnt sustainable, then let’s build guillotines and do something else.

        • @LaLuzDelSol@lemmy.world
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          11 year ago

          I read through the article and I agree that it is wrong for Target and other companies to blame crime for underperformance when crime isn’t the real culprit. But that was an example involving 9 stores. There are tons of examples of stores closing citing crime if you search for it. I think it’s unhelpful to hand wave all of them away as PR.

      • @frickineh@lemmy.world
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        381 year ago

        Cool, still not my problem. They can hire people to care about it, I’m not ratting people out. And let’s be real, a lot of those companies lie and blame theft for higher prices and store closures and then it turns out they’re actually full of crap. Target got caught doing that like 5 minutes ago.

    • stebo
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      131 year ago

      even if you did, what would you gain from reporting it? triumph?

      • @masquenox@lemmy.world
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        91 year ago

        If I wanted to victimize poor people to protect billionaire parasites I’d join their taxpayer-funded gang of rapists, murderers and torturers over at the local cop-shop.

    • @roscoe@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      61 year ago

      Absolutely. It’s far easier to steal a few small, expensive, easy to resell things then take the proceeds and buy a week’s worth of groceries than it is to steal a week’s worth of groceries. Food is bulky.

  • @Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
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    461 year ago

    Here it’s often junkies stealing expensive meats and cheese to sell. I probably wouldn’t say anything but I don’t really give a shit if they get caught either.

      • @Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        Other junkies, alkies, people they have debt to. Often used in lieu of money since they’ve already spent it.

        It’s a thing. I’ve been (am still) around enough junkies that I’ve had some debts paid in premium meat and cheese. I didn’t even think it might sound weird to some, I’m just so used to it hah.

        • @rockyTron@lemmy.world
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          31 year ago

          Huh that’s a trip man I’d never have thought. I guess people are smart enough to understand value versus weight and that shit is some of the highest value per pound at the grocery store.

          • @Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
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            21 year ago

            It’s also something that’s available in a lot of stores so you get many places to try your luck in. And they aren’t as hard to steal as electronics and they aren’t next to the cashiers like some higher value stuff. And meat and cheese is something that is an easy sell to a lot of people, since it’s not very specific at all. I don’t have a use for a new electric toothbrush but sure I guess I could eat some really good steaks.

            My local store got some alarm things on more expensive meat and cheeses because it got so bad. Felt so weird seeing it the first time.

      • fakeaustinfloyd
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        221 year ago

        Have you never been approached by a weird dude at a gas station who is selling “fresh” meat out of a cooler in the trunk of his car?

        We live in very different places. (Not sarcasm, this has happened to me about a dozen times)

    • @vithigar@lemmy.ca
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      11 year ago

      Saw one get caught here just a couple of weeks back, had a similar thought. Didn’t care that the store was being stolen from, also didn’t care that he got caught. Found it a little funny when he just walked back into the store through a different entrance after he got kicked out and the “loss prevention agent” got all “what did I just tell you?!” Idly hoped that the guy had someone who cares about him in his life trying to help him.

  • @Xtallll@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    1271 year ago

    If you see someone shoplifting, remember it isn’t your job to deal with it, stores pay security for that. getting involved is providing free labor to the company, and they get enough of that through wage theft.

  • 🇰 🌀 🇱 🇦 🇳 🇦 🇰 🇮 🏆
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    1 year ago

    Shit if they’re stealing a TV from major corporate retailer that has pushed out all the local competition: I didn’t see that shit, either.

    Oh and people who need baby formula from Walmart: The locks used on those cabinets use a universal key. Obtain one and even if they lock up the baby formula, you can still get it. Even if you intend to pay, it’s a time saver if your Walmart is like mine and nobody ever shows up to assist you at the locked cabinets.

    • ObjectivityIncarnate
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      141 year ago

      You think you’re hurting the corporation, but you’re hurting its employees. If a location becomes unprofitable because of too much theft, it just closes, and now all those people are out of a job because of entitled thieves’ greed.

      Also, the formula is locked up because people steal it to turn a profit fencing it, not to feed anyone who needs it out of the goodness of their heart.

      • @Syltti@lemmy.world
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        111 year ago

        Those people being out of a job could very well be a blessing in disguise. If you work in retail long enough, you know what this means.

        • @Blackrook7@lemmy.world
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          91 year ago

          Oh yeah, I agree. Those “jobs” they provide are burden on the taxpayers, as well as driving out small businesses.

        • ObjectivityIncarnate
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          11 year ago

          Those people being out of a job could very well be a blessing in disguise.

          I’d bet anything you don’t have the guts to say this horseshit to one of their faces.

          • @cae@lemmy.world
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            21 year ago

            He doesn’t have to. I worked in retail before and I felt like celebrating after I quit.

        • ObjectivityIncarnate
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          31 year ago

          But it is the thieves fault when shrinkage causes them to have no job at all. Prioritizing your selfish, greedy desire to steal over their well-being is all you’re doing, and it’s reprehensible.

  • @daltotron@lemmy.world
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    41 year ago

    Remember kids, if you see someone shoplifting, ahhhh oh no I’m having an asthma attack on no my heart palpitations! ahhhhh! Oh I feel really faint I’m having a heat stroke or something!

    I dunno, or something like that. In any case, it’s pretty much always ethical to steal from corporations, most especially big box stores, as an absolute moral value, and I do indeed find it kind of hard to be swayed from this as an opinion at all.

    People stealing stuff that you think they don’t need? They probably needed it. Prices going up? Probably they should stop paying their CEO so much. Big box store pulls out, creating a food desert? Probably they were looking to downsize anyways. Increased security, decreased convenience and social cohesion because now thievery is allowed? I dunno, I’m pretty sure if beforehand your “social cohesion” was predicated on the poverty of some other class of person, it wasn’t actually real, or was a farce, an illusion. The people who were robbing, were secretly rich? Doesn’t commonly happen since the rich steal in other ways, and the relative impact is so small as to basically not be worth mentioning. I dunno, uhhh, what else what else. People stealing stuff so they can be scalpers? I dunno, harder issue to solve. Probably those people sound like they should also be stolen from, since they’re kind of simulating the big box store at a lower level. Seems more, systemic, maybe.

    Did I miss any?

  • @DrSteveBrule@mander.xyz
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    741 year ago

    I use to work at a grocery store and for every food item that was stolen, dozens more of the same product was thrown out for being past expiration. Like many companies they want the shelves to be full at all times, which means they over produce and order product. Nothing was recycled or donated, just straight into the trash. If I ever saw anyone stealing while I was working, I just saw it as less work I has to do with taking count and throwing out food later. Plus someone actually got to eat it!

    • Cosmic Cleric
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      101 year ago

      Nothing was recycled or donated

      How come they never donate? Seems like a no no brainer and it would help out.

      • @SomeSphinx@lemmy.world
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        191 year ago

        My guess is they don’t want to be responsible for lawsuits if someone eats food they had to throw out and it causes a problem. (past expiration date, damage, ect.) Then again I am not a multi-billion dollar business executive so the reason could very well be “fuck the poors” for all I know.

        • @Acters@lemmy.world
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          171 year ago

          There are literally laws that say you can donate with no liability. It’s a common misconception that is too pervasive even in those who are in charge.

          In fact, the ones who do realize they can do it with no liability have calculated the costs of throwing away(trash removal is subsidized) vs creating an entirely new process for donating food and worry about its handling(vs. The very lax and rough handling trash gets). Not to mention that they will have to move it to a separate location as it can bring unwanted traffic that is not profitable.

          Donating is not an easy task. It’s a burden, and there isn’t a public service to make it easier and similar in cost to trash removal services. It’s not the company’s fault. It’s the government and charities that are not getting involved.

      • @max@feddit.nl
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        31 year ago

        Supermarkets in my country do. They also have bins for items that are getting really close to expiration, where you can buy them with a hefty discount. Another supermarket puts orange stickers giving a discount on close-to-expired products.

      • @DrSteveBrule@mander.xyz
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        61 year ago

        I believe some store locations did, or at least said they did. I’m not sure why the ones I worked at didn’t. Even if the food didn’t go to people, I’ve heard they can go into making feed for animals and fats from unused foods can go into make up. Probably what other people have said, if they start donating, then less product would be purchased. I don’t have a better answer unfortunately, I wasn’t given one when I asked.

      • @linkhidalgogato@lemmy.ml
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        61 year ago

        because then people can eat that food instead of buying. u are thinking like a human u have to think like a capitalists

    • Flying Squid
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      1 year ago

      Similarly- my daughter’s last science unit (for some reason) had a big thing about how you shouldn’t waste food to help the environment. And I’m fine with telling kids not to waste food to help the environment. But maybe it should also mention that McDonald’s throws out every perfectly edible burger that’s sat under a heat lamp too long and maybe that should be a bigger concern if we’re talking about food waste and the environment.

      Even at the middle school level, they’re blaming the individual when the corporation is so much worse.

        • @KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          11 year ago

          You’re assuming it was profitable to begin with.

          Many corporations move in with a reduced rate, encourage people to shift their habits and drive out competition, then raise their prices to a profitable level.

          What happens when that profitable level was never tenable from the get go?

  • @cumskin_genocide@lemm.ee
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    21 year ago

    Never snitch ever.

    About 10 years ago there was this guy that killed his gf in my neighborhood. I heard the gunshot go off while watching the daily show and I just kept watching TV. It wasn’t my business to find out what was going on.

  • ???
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    151 year ago

    LOL I am out of microblog memes, seems like too many people here (for my taste at least) coming up with excuses to entirely forgive crimes no matter the context.

    • @rsuri@lemmy.world
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      31 year ago

      That’s the point of microblogging. You don’t have to think about what you’re upvoting for any longer than it takes to read a sentence.

      • ???
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        71 year ago

        It’s amazing how ironic and reactionary this is :)

          • ???
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            51 year ago

            PS: i did call someone a bootlicker recently after their unwavaring support for Zionism and after about 3-4 months into discussions with them after they showed blind loyalty to Israel (a country they are not even from)

            But you are calling me a “bootlicker” for refusing to “break Nazi’s arms unprovoked and at random encounters to ‘keep the community clean’” and because I suggested that inflicting trauma on Nazis might cause them to be even more radicalized and cause more harm to the world… or in the case of this post here, you are calling me a bootlicker for wanting to report people who don’t even look poor to the police for robbing my local grocery store… dude. These absolutes are so fucking dumb… “I will report all thefts no matter what” is just bad as an absolute as “I will not report any”.

            The only two people in my life who were actively shoplifting never needed to. They did it to “game the system”. I should of course not take this personal experience and derive sweeping conclusions from it. What people need is proper social wellfare so that they never have to shoplift and you never have to make a point about not reporting them.

            Anyway, what I’m saying is that you’d be better off not being reactionary in your responses. I don’t know you, you don’t know me, but I think of you did, you wouldn’t call me a bootlicker or whatever else.

          • ???
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            1 year ago

            Then I am definetely in the wrong place.

  • @GlitterInfection@lemmy.world
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    531 year ago

    Unless you live where I do, where people steal mass amounts of junk food from convenience stores and then resell it at the nighttime markets to our struggling, marginalized, population of unhoused folks at an exploitative mark-up.

    Because that is actively harming me, and the community I live in.

    Though even with all that, confronting or reporting them isn’t helpful. But if asked, and I saw it, I would say so.