Not shoplifting, but fighting capitalism

According to new data from Avery Dennison, more than half of Generation Z shoppers prefer self-service checkouts and kiosks.

In fact, one-third of young shoppers admitted to shoplifting while paying at self-service checkout counters.

According to a recent LendingTree survey of 2,000 Americans, nearly half of Generation Z respondents said they steal the most expensive item from their shopping cart, while 37% said they would only take essentials without feeling any guilt about their behavior:

 «We have so many companies that don’t care about their customers but only make money,» and tips and tricks for shoplifting are going viral online.

Such sentiments are indicative of a deeper trend: according to a 2021 survey, more than half of Generation Z has a negative view of capitalism.

«I don’t think stealing from large corporations is immoral because they exploit workers and resources for economic gain,» a 19-year-old respondent told Dazed last year.

Including this negative trend, popular retailers such as Costco and Wegmans are reconsidering installing self-service machines, while Walmart eliminated kiosks from three of its stores in New Mexico.

According to CNN, retailers are suffering losses from both petty theft and unintentional errors when paying for merchandise; an international study found that retail outlets with self-service checkouts are losing 2 times more than average.