A SHOPPER threw shots at Walmart after a receipt-checking mishap at a rival grocery store.
More and more retailers are using receipt checks to curb theft after shoplifting ran rampant in stores last year, leading to several policy changes and the closures of multiple businesses.
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However, these changes have infuriated customers who have called out retailers for checking receipts despite no policies calling for it.
"A HarrisTeeter why don't you charge a monthly membership fee and change your name to Walmart Jr!?" a shopper wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"I get large bags and suitcases but is it really necessary to check my receipt at the door IMMEDIATELY after you watch me checkout on HD cameras!?
"Guess I will switch to Giant."
READ MORE ON WALMART
Harris Teeter is a chain of grocery stores based in North Carolina.
In April, it was announced that the chain required customers to show their receipts before leaving the store.
The company also banned shoppers from bringing suitcases, duffel bags, large backpacks, and roller bags into its stores.
"Harris Teeter is committed to providing the highest quality, freshest products to all customers in the communities we serve. Ensuring a safe shopping environment for both our customers and our valued associates is critical," read a statement from the company at the time.
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"These measures will help us maintain a safe shopping experience and continue providing the best service and goods at competitive prices to our customers. We thank our valued associates and customers for their cooperation and patience."
The move comes as Walmart has become the biggest retailer to implement similar checks, despite customers arguing otherwise.
'Keep walking on out,' fumes shopper as grocery chain begins receipt checks & bans certain bags but some say it's needed
Walmart currently has no policies regarding receipt checking and many shoppers argue that they don't have to show proof of purchase when leaving the store.
However, stores such as Sam's Club, BJ's, and Costco require customers to show their receipts as they leave as part of their memberships.
"At Costco and Sam's Club, we sign a contract when we get memberships. No such contract is signed at Walmart," a shopper wrote on X.
"There is actually no law stating you have to show your receipt," she continued.
"I just say bye and leave with my stuff."
RETAILERS BLAME CRIME
Walmart and other retailers have put the blame on increased theft in stores for the new policies.
While shoplifting rates have risen since the pandemic, crime has overall been on the decline throughout the US.
In Los Angeles, California, the average monthly rate of shoplifting went from roughly 540 thefts per month in 2021 to just under 900 per month last year.
Legality of receipt checks and detention
In an effort to curtail retail crime, stores are increasingly turning to receipt checks as shoppers exit.
Legally, stores can ask to see a customer's receipts, and membership-only stores have the right to demand such checks if shoppers agreed to terms and conditions that authorize it.
Many legal professionals have weighed in and come to similar conclusions, caveating that all states do have specific laws.
Generally speaking, stores have Shopkeeper's Privilegelaws that allow them to detain a person until authorities arrive when they have reasonable suspicion that a crime, like theft, has been committed.
Declining to provide a receipt is not a reason in itself for a store to detain a customer, they must have further reason to suspect a shopper of criminal activity.
Due to the recent nature of the receipt checks, there is little concrete law on the legality of the practice, as it takes time for law to catch up with technology.
Setliff Law, P.C. claims that "there is no definitive case law specifically relating to refusal to produce a receipt for purchases."
For stores that improperly use their Shopkeeper's Privilege, they could face claims of false imprisonment.
"The primary law that applies to these types of wrongful detention cases is called 'False Imprisonment'," explained Hudson Valley local attorneyAlex Mainetti.
"Of course, you're not literally imprisoned, but you're detained by a person who has no lawful authority to detain you and/or wrongfully detains a customer."
It is likely that as altercations in stores over receipt checks continue, more court cases will occur giving clearer definitions and boundaries to the legality of receipt checks.
This is an 81% increase from 2022, according to theLos Angeles police department.
In New York City, the five boroughs saw an increase in shoplifting from 2019 to mid-2023, rising nearly 65%, according to a study by theCouncil on Criminal Justice.
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However, in 2023, there were about 52,000 reported shoplifting incidents in the city, down from 7% in 2022.
Major retailers are expected to lose $132 billion in combined shoplifting losses this year alone, reported Capital One.
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