Sampling or stealing?

[Anonymous]

I work in LE. I hate when stores prosecute thefts like this. Whole shopping carts yes, pricey clothing yes, all for it.
10 chicken nuggets? That’s theft under $100.
So that’s a court date for the mom, the cop that was called, and the store manager. The paperwork at the court and the OT the cop gets for showing up cost more than 10 chicken nuggets.
If she doesn’t show up now a bench warrant gets issued, that warrant needs entering into ncic. It shows up on case search.
I had to enter a FTA bench warrant the other day for theft under $100 for a stolen Gatorade and chips. It was less than $10. But the store wanted to press charges. It’s so much work, time, and money wasted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP: You really should mind your own business in a matter like this. Seems clear that the mom is struggling financially, but was responsible enough to feed her child. Show a little class and some grace.

If this event bothered you enough to stalk the woman and her hungry child, then you should have considered paying for the sampled food as a gesture of kindness and as a sign that you recognize your blessings.

Oh please. She wasn’t struggling financially. She wanted to shut her kid up while she shopped so she felt entitled to grab some nuggets and stuff them in kids face. There’s no good way to pay for food by weight you’ve already consumed, and she didn’t really care.

Her kid was not making any noises. No crying. No anything. It was a well behaved kid.

Usually the noise from a screaming kid would draw my attention. Not here. I was right behind them.

What drew my attention was the soup cup. She started putting the nuggets in there. I thought it was odd. Then I realized what it was all about.

[Anonymous]

This is so “Karen” OP!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work in LE. I hate when stores prosecute thefts like this. Whole shopping carts yes, pricey clothing yes, all for it.
10 chicken nuggets? That’s theft under $100.
So that’s a court date for the mom, the cop that was called, and the store manager. The paperwork at the court and the OT the cop gets for showing up cost more than 10 chicken nuggets.
If she doesn’t show up now a bench warrant gets issued, that warrant needs entering into ncic. It shows up on case search.
I had to enter a FTA bench warrant the other day for theft under $100 for a stolen Gatorade and chips. It was less than $10. But the store wanted to press charges. It’s so much work, time, and money wasted.

Thanks for sharing your perspective. It is valid as well. I worked at a retail store. We’ve had to chase down perps. People just wanted some lipsticks, or earrings, or coats or jeans and they could not afford them. So they steal.

It’s a huge problem. And I cannot tell you how many times I have found sensors in dressing rooms, in pockets, in plastic bags ripped from clothes, etc. The stories would haunt you.

You just draw a bright line against it all.

I could have made it a bigger deal. No one apprehended her. But I hope I made her think to not do it again (though I know she will).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is so “Karen” OP!!

I don’t think you would say this if you were on the other side of this.

I’m not white, so stop referring to me as a Karen or a “white” thing to do.

[Anonymous]

I’m sorry guys. This is OP here. I just don’t agree with those who feel it was okay because she was feeding a hungry kid.

That was not the case here at all. That was one chunky toddler. Again, very satisfied from nuggets, and maybe some cookies. Quiet and well behaved.

I completely lacked respect for what she did, especially when there are signs posted there and there are free samples in the deli and at the entrance. They had chips and guac out, some fruit samples and premium deli salads in little bowls. She could have helped herself to a few of those instead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is a premium chicken nugget?

One that costs over $11/lb. compared to what you pay at fast food stores, etc. I believe the hot food bar is around $11-$12/lb of food.

Also more than likely cooked with healthier ingredients. It’s Whole Foods. One would assume so.

You are the dumbest person alive.

[Anonymous]

Yes it’s stealing. And yes that raises prices for all of us. Plus teaches the kid that stealing is an acceptable thing to do. Not okay.

[Anonymous]

OP, you are obsessing and making some odd inferences about the child involved. Please seek help.

[Anonymous]

Those chicken nuggets from the hot bar are yesterday’s leftovers. It doesn’t cost the store as much as you think.

But I agree it is stealing. And I agree it is wrong.

I also agree the OP following the mom around the store is weird.

[Anonymous]

Premium chicken nuggets at a premium grocery store, OP?

Eating something you aren't going to pay for is wrong, but no, I would not get involved. That's for the store to sort out, you never know who is unstable and going to get violent, and honestly I'm not reporting someone who is hungry. Bigger crimes, especially these days.

[Anonymous]

As someone who doesn’t steal, this frustrates me because it raises the prices. The mom sucks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which store is this? Asking for some friends.

My guess would be Whole Foods.

Op here and yes!!

This isn't a local mom'n'pop shop. What in the whiteness makes you so irate that a mom fed her kids some overcooked, dried out hot bar nuggets without paying? Is it right? No. Is it the end of the world crisis you're making it out to be? No. Most importantly: does it affect you, at all? NO. The prices at Whole Foods are exorbitant, and won't be increased due to hot bar food that goes unpaid. They throw out enough every day to feed everyone on this thread a feast.

Let other people make their own mistakes when it doesn't cause immediate risk of safety or life. This is peak MYOB territory.

****^^^^^**
First, do not go off on me like that. I shared a story from my day. I asked thru my header how would others view this—a sample or a steal. I think it can be viewed as either. I viewed it as the latter. And I know that I am correct.

Secondly, I shop there often. Yes, others might steal. That’s why they’ve put security guards in there since earlier this year. It’s happening (a lot, I bet) and added security is there as loss prevention. Spoilage is a huge crises across retail, including grocers. So just because you don’t think it’s a big deal, others feel it is. The stores knows it is.

And although this is a minor incident, it’s just like another poster said, at what point do you “normalize” the stealing? Do we just say “there is a mom who wanted some free food for her kids? Should all moms be allowed to do this? Some nuggets here, an apple and banana there, and some milk? Can I just tell the moms that I know who shop there to just do like her?

Spoilage impacts costs, and that impacts bottom lines. Moreover, if I’m an investor, it could impact stock price. Do there’s more to it than “stop picking on this mom.” And believe me when I say this. I volunteer a lot for the food insecure. There are so many resources in this county. I have seen the long lines outside of some centers and churches. I understand and I try to help out where I can and teach that to my kids. But flat out stealing, when so many others put their pride aside and take handouts from shelters and other places, is wrong. Trust me, I’ve never packed a box of premium chicken nuggets as a volunteer. This mom cleverly used her kid and stroller (yes she had a stroller and a cart).

Lastly, I take offense to your “whiteness” comment. I am not white. And the shopper was ethnic (based on wardrobe—long skirt, semi-covered hair) or had strong ties to another culture or religion. She was not American. Probably not a normal shopper at this grocery store. But she knew what she was doing.

She was brazen about it. She went to the dessert area first. When I saw her, she was at the hot food bar. Then she went to the register. She tried to circle back around to other parts of the store after she paid (she went towards fruit section), but I had someone looking over at her by then, so she exited and hurried away.

My question is this, what should we do about shoplifters? Do we grant them a pass or two? Does quantity matter before we act? Or should retailers stop it in its tracks?

Do you mean shrinkage instead of spoilage? Because spoilage at a grocery store seems entirely in their control whether it be through more efficient inventorying or maintaining items at proper temps.

Shrinkage is generally the term for inventory loss through theft, damage or loss. I think you mean shrinkage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Watched a woman use her child to steal food from the hot bar at premium grocery store.

I was about to grab an item from the hot bar. She was there before me. Then she got on her phone. I noticed the toddler (not infant but 1-2 year old) in the stroller.

What made me look hard was the container she used. She grabbed a soup container from the other side of the bar (instead of the hot bar containers). Then she put about 10 premium chicken nuggets in the container and then handed them to jar daughter to eat.

I thought that maybe she would try to pass them off as soup at the checkout. But no, she had the kid eat the nuggets. I was behind her at checkout. 3 cannolis put on the conveyor while the kid remained hidden in the stroller, finishing up the nuggets.

Security guard was nearby. He did not see it. I told the clerks and she hurried out of the store before anything could have been said. I’m sure that had I not said anything that she would have “sampled” more food.

Disgusted.

Really? You’re gonna pitch a fit about a woman feeding her child?

See you next Tuesday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Those chicken nuggets from the hot bar are yesterday’s leftovers. It doesn’t cost the store as much as you think.

But I agree it is stealing. And I agree it is wrong.

I also agree the OP following the mom around the store is weird.

I did not follow her around the store. When I left the hot bar to check out, she was in a checkout line already. I witnessed everything else from the checkout line. No need to follow here around the store because she did not go that far—hot bar, then checkout line, then tried to loop back into fruit section.

Me and the cashier watched.