As inflated food bills continue to hammer customers, the conversation around shoplifting is heating up. Some shoplifters say stealing up to 80% of their food offsets skyrocketing costs of living and combats greedy grocers who are using inflation as an excuse to hike up prices unnecessarily. Meanwhile, business owners claim a drastic increase in theft is partially what forces them to raise prices, and some think law enforcement is so soft on shoplifters that it’s basically become “decriminalized crime.” (Of course, shoplifting impacts small businesses, some which are recovering from the pandemic, differently than deep-pocketed chain stores.)
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So, what do big box grocery workers—who must encounter shoplifters as part of the job—think? I spoke with Elizabeth, a Whole Foods employee in Michigan, to learn more about the state of theft at her store. Elizabeth has worked at Whole Foods, which is owned by shopping giant Amazon, for about two-and-half years and says she regularly notices shoplifting—but doesn’t feel the need to do much about it. “It’s one thing when someone steals some Dior perfume,” explains the 22-year-old cashier and grocery worker, who requested we use her middle name only. “But if I see someone stealing a dozen eggs, I just choose to look the other way.”
Though Whole Foods certainly isn’t the only retailer that faces shoplifting, the store has become a popular topic of conversation online. “I was shopping the other day and as a recovering kleptomaniac I was like, ‘They’re almost making it too easy,’” one Reddit user wrote in a recent thread on the topic. People who say they shoplift have expressed similar sentiments to the press. “Let’s just say I don’t feel too bad about taking $15 or $20 of stuff from Whole Foods when Jeff Bezos is the richest man on Earth,” one woman told The Washington Post about stealing from the store, referring to Amazon’s owner, who is worth $123 billion and considered the third richest person in the world.
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Reports have indicated that there might be severe charges for people who shoplift at Whole Foods. But based on personal experience, Elizabeth says employees at her store are told when they’re onboarded to avoid confronting shoplifters in order to keep safe from potential retaliation. “The training is super minimal,” she tells me. “It’s literally just, ‘Don’t approach the person and talk to a team lead about it.’” Whole Foods declined to comment on official policies regarding theft in its stores.
While some retail workers say they’re fed up with theft, Elizabeth feels empathy for people who are stealing food—especially in this economy. She says that many coworkers in her age group feel similarly about shoplifting: “It’s just not something we care about all that much.” Here, she describes which foods are most often stolen, the most common ways she sees people shoplift, and why she ultimately turns a blind eye to grocery theft.
Why did you decide to work at Whole Foods?
I worked at a farm before Whole Foods but I was let go because of Covid and needed something stable. I figured a grocery store would never close, so I applied to a bunch of places and Whole Foods was like, “Come on over.”
So, what’s it like working there?
I’ve worked a lot of jobs in my life, and I tell people this is the best one I’ve ever had. I get paid well and it’s not that manual. Everyone who I work with is very chill. I like my upper management and I don’t have bad experiences there, so I actually enjoy going into work.
What’s the most memorable shoplifting experience you’ve seen?
Around 18 months ago, I saw an older woman, maybe in her mid- to late-60s, reusing the brown paper bags that we use to bag groceries. She had set them up in her cart and was filling them with hundreds of dollars worth of stuff, like eggs and milk and produce. And then she just walked past all the registers and out the door.
I saw it, and so did my team lead. And we kind of both looked at each other. My team leader was like, “Did you check her out?” I was cashiering and I was like, “No.” And so my team lead ended up running outside and asked the woman for her receipt. And the woman was like, “Oh, I didn't get a receipt.” My team lead was like, “Well, why don’t you come back inside with me, and we’ll find the receipt online just to make sure.”
She came back in with the cart full of groceries, and then left it inside and just walked out. We didn’t do anything. I honestly felt bad because it was this older woman, and it wasn’t like she was buying really materialistic stuff. It wasn’t like face masks or whatever, it was necessities. Like, she needed food.
Would you have done anything different if your team lead wasn’t there?
I don’t think I would’ve told anyone. Whole Foods is a multi-billion dollar business, and it’s connected with Amazon. I don’t care about us losing a small amount of stuff. We donate so much food at the end of each day. And in my head, I see shoplifting as just another donation to someone who obviously really needs it.
What are the most common ways people seem to steal things?
A couple weeks ago, this guy had stuff in a basket and I saw him kind of hide behind something and move the groceries into his backpack. He just put the basket back and walked out. I see people put things into pockets and hide items in bigger purses or tote bags. I’ve also seen people put some things in their pockets or bags and still pay for a couple things. We don’t have detectors at the doors, so it’s really easy to steal things here. It’s a lot easier than it is at other stores.
What kinds of foods are stolen most often?
So, that one instance where it was the older woman with the shopping cart, she pretty much got her groceries for two weeks. A lot of times, I’ll see staples like peanut butter and jelly, or bread. Tuna’s a big one. Which to me, if you’re stealing tuna, you really need to eat. I hate tuna; it’s nasty. I’ve also seen people take chips and rice. Those single-serve yogurts. Really, anything. But it’s usually smaller things rather than a big family-sized item.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen cookies get stolen or anything like that. It’s more like actual food, not so much the snacky stuff. In the area I live in, we have a really underserved community nearby. I feel a lot of empathy towards people who are in need of food. It’s one thing when someone steals some Dior perfume. But if I see someone stealing a dozen eggs, I just choose to look the other way.
You mentioned the lady with the grocery cart was older. Is there a general age range for people who are shoplifting at your store?
I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone my age or younger shoplift. Of course there are outliers, but the majority of shoplifters I see are between their late-20s and early-40s.
How do your co-workers feel about shoplifting? How do y’all handle it?
We’ve talked about it and we are supposed to report shoplifting to management whenever we see it. We are not supposed to confront the person or anything out of fear of retaliation. [Editor’s note: As mentioned previously, Whole Foods declined to comment on official policies regarding theft in its stores.]
But personally, I don’t tell anyone if I ever see it. I know that the coworkers who are closer to my age have very similar opinions on it. It’s just not something we care about all that much. Our paycheck isn’t going to change whether or not we do anything about it, and Whole Foods will not suffer from the tiny amount that someone just stole.
Have you personally ever shoplifted?
Never, but I’ve also always had the means not to. I definitely would consider myself privileged. I grew up in an upper middle class home with my parents, and we were always able to do things and buy whatever we needed. My dad told me I needed to start working really young, so I’ve just always kind of had money; I’ve never felt the need to steal.
Have your opinions around shoplifting changed, before and after working at Whole Foods?
Growing up, I feel like my parents have always taught me that it was wrong to steal and never to do it—and that the people who are doing it are bad people. But I’m actually a recovering drug addict. During my addiction, I exhibited behaviors that I otherwise wouldn’t have if I were in a better situation. People aren’t bad people, they just make bad decisions. I definitely feel like, just through studying sociology at college now and from my personal experiences, my mind has changed from that initial judgment around shoplifting.
Editor’s note: This story was originally published on February 21, 2023 and updated on February 23, 2023 to clarify quotes and contextualizing information.