The Walmart effect and the Little Shoplifters Handbook

by kwintestal 6 Replies latest social current

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  kwintestal

  Shoplifting is wrong! There, I said it! Now on to my topic!

  I was in the grocery store the other day, and as I was walking from the dairy to the bakery, I passed by the meat section. As I go past the poultry section, I look down at the chicken breast, and there are white patches on the outside of the packaging. Those electronic theft sensors! First time I had ever seen those in a grocery store, it caught me off guard.

  So it got me thinking. (Scary huh?)

  About a year ago, I was on the bus and there in front of me was 2 pages from a book called "The Little Shoplifters Handbook". A fine piece of Anarchist propaganda. This book explained that it is our duty to shoplift. Here is the reasoning it gave:

  The store says shoplifting costs everyone. The basic premise is, you steal from us, we have to raise our prices to make up for it. That is a lie. When they price something, they say, "What is the most amout of money we can make from this item?" and they charge that, the absolute most. So shoplifting is basically saying, that is too much and I'm not going to pay it. The pages then went on to explain why shoplifting is morally correct (basically questioning what morals are in the first place).

  Shoplifting is wrong.

  So, as to my thoughts. Back in the day, when you knew your butcher by name, new his kids, his wife and heck you invited them over for dinner the other day, did you shoplift from him?

  Shoplifting seems like a victimless crime to the shoplifter as you do no know who you are stealing from. In fact, as the book goes on to justify, you're not stealing from anyone, just a corporation who's overcharging for everything anyway.

  Has the fact that the thief no longer personally knows the person that is being stolen from, made shoplifting more prevelent in society? The Walmart Effect!

  Kwin

  BTW. Shoplifting is wrong. I in no way condone this illegal activity. (Am I covered???)
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  funkyderek

  Interesting factoid: The most shoplifted items are Gillette Mach 3 razor blades, probably because the razors are really cheap and the blades are hideously overpriced and can be easily slipped up a sleeve - not that I condone that sort of thing, of course
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  Swan

  I have only shoplifted once, and it was unintentional. The store was in the midst of remodeling and it was an absolute mess. I had several things on my list, the first being lipstick. I found that first, but I had to go over into the clothing section to find where they had moved it. Then I had to find some items in sundries and some milk over in the grocery section. I went through the self-pay station and left the store. On the way home it dawned on me that that price was low. The lipstick for 7.29 wasn't on my receipt. I looked in my purse and there it was. Somehow in the confusion I had just slipped it into my purse without thinking.

  What to do? I was to embarrassed to take it back to the store. I thought about going in and buying another one and then scan it twice at the self-pay, but if the guard spotted that, how would I explain why I was buying one by paying twice? I decided to not press my luck and just be more diligent and not so absent minded when I shop. I still felt bad about it though. Years later I still remember and haven't repeated the mistake, but I don't think of this store as some corporation. It is a neighborhood shopping center and I know a lot of the clerks on an acquaintance basis. If I ever see the chance though, I will take it and slip in an extra $7.29 to my neighborhood store or buy something extra special the next time they do a food or toy drive.

  Maybe that's why in some stores the help always says "hello, how are you?" several times during the course of your shopping. Maybe it is to build up that relationship with the customer so people don't think of the store as just a big box store and less likely to steal. I just don't know what they will do about the attention challenged like me though.

  Tammy
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  kwintestal

  The most shoplifted items are Gillette Mach 3 razor blades

  Razor blades are now kept behind the counters at most stores here.

  It's funny that shoplifting is usually atributed as a youth crime. When was the last time a kid stole razor blades or chicken breasts?

  Kwin
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  Satanus

  Kwint
  

  Is that avatar you as a baby? You sure look like a happy baby, looking through that menu. So, the question is, if the company is gouging you (legalised stealing), should you get back what you can? I don''t know.

  I stole a few things at school when i was a kid. I once tried to steel some marbles at a drug store and got caught. The owner gave me a lecture and told me to tell my dad what i did. Ha! Anyways, i never stole anything since then. Ok well, i don't count a few grapes now and then while i grocery shop. You gotta test those things before you buy em.

  S
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  Elsewhere

  *** Walks out door in a trance ***

  Must steal tampons....

  Must steal tampons...
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  candidlynuts

  my ex got mad at walmart for overcharging him for something so he recouped his losses by putting 40 lb bags of dog food on his lower rack on his buggy and unloading the rest of the buggy leaving the dog food there.. his reasoning " they owed him" and if the worker was doing his/her job they would have noticed it.

  i found out he did this several times over the course of one summer..