Shoplifting - Good or Bad?

[kniskern]

Obviously, shoplifting is a crime and immediately considered "bad" in terms of legality. But, I want to know your moral stance.

A good friend of mine has a motto set in stone that he will never steal something that has a price attached to it. An example: He won't steal a salt shaker in a store. He will steal a salt shaker in a restaurant. He justifies that if it doesn't have a price, it will not rob the company of earning or push their earnings back.

My look on shoplifting has recently changed. I always felt it was terrible, mostly because my father is a police officer and gave me the whole "good" vs "bad" growing up. Recently I worked as a salesperson in a mall and my five months there were the worst I ever experienced in a job. Complete unprofessional management treating employees like objects and not people. While working there I noticed how common theft was. In fact, it was unbelievably easy. Still I didn't want ANY trouble with the law. Eventually I walked out on the job and come the summer I decided to get a swim suit. I absolutely hate that store and its employees, so I decided to do myself a favor. So I walked out with a $19.99 item and I won't lie, it felt good. This is not something I plan to turn into a habit (it's the worst legal offense I've ever made in my entire life), and I would never do this to a local or mom-n-pop store. I justified my action that this is a huge retailer, loses hundreds of dollars every day, and they won't even miss what I took. To put it into perspective... don't we cheer on Robin Hood. He took from the rich and gave to the poor. I'm poor.

[heaven_s3nt]

It's illegal and no matter what you say, stealing is stealing. And the thing about your friend stealing stuff that doesn't have a price on it, if people kept stealing shakers/silverware or whatever, eventually they would have to purchase more to make up for their losses. I have stolen before (not out of a retail store, more like from a candy machine) but I'm just curious as to what part of shoplifting do you think might actually consider being good?

[lynnc35]

Uh, yeah, that would be bad, your concious should at least tell you that is stealing and it is not right. It doesn't matter how much money they have, God knows what you are taking.

[gafee2001]

A good friend of mine has a motto set in stone that he will never steal something that has a price attached to it. An example: He won't steal a salt shaker in a store. He will steal a salt shaker in a restaurant. He justifies that if it doesn't have a price, it will not rob the company of earning or push their earnings back.

Your friend is very wrong. Whenever ANYTHING is taken from a store, it requires the store to purchase the item again. I'm not sure if you've ever taken any courses in business, but it should be pretty obvious how to determine the profit for a basic sales system: Profit = Revenue - Costs (Pay checks, inventory, electric bills, and so on). Unfortunately, the store must replace the stolen item. This makes costs for the store go up, which means if revenue doesn't go up, the store loses profit. The easiest way to increase revenue is to increase prices.

I justified my action that this is a huge retailer, loses hundreds of dollars every day, and they won't even miss what I took.

Sure, the retailer itself won't really miss your stolen item. They'll just have to jack up the prices FOR EVERYONE ELSE in order to cover your own stupid idea. However, you fail to realize that stealing from a store location affects the job status of the employees who work there. If enough items are stolen, job cuts are made at the store level. This is a terrible thing, since retail store employees probably make less money than you do, and they are the one forced to lose their jobs over this action on your part.

To put it bluntly, you're so naive in your own little understanding of how it works that you never actually considered the large-scale repercussions of your actions.

[rbeal2324]

Shoplifting is bad no matter how you try to justify it. 

[atvgirl1]

It is wrong stealing is stealing no matter where you take it from.  It also is bad because people have to raise there prices because of people stealing from them. shoplifting is a crime.

[rcbrad]

I think you already answered your question in your first sentence.  When things are STOLEN from stores with or without a price tag, it makes the costs go up for the store and that means that everyone has to pay extra to make up for other peoples criminal activity.   Stealing is stealing no matter how you justify who, how, where, when, why etc.  

[Osmara13]

What's done is done, you looking back after doing it is your conscience talking. In all retrospect you don’t feel right doing it. The thing is if you want to right your wrong you go back and return the bathing suit but with a   with a company that you said wasn’t worth its weight in gold. If not just throw it away and learn from this experience.   People do thing out of desperation, you can't take someone’s advice if they don’t know what you’re going through. You know the saying "walk a mile in my shoes" I've done things in my time... making me a stronger person. Eventually it will get better, just keep positive. These are just bumps in the road to have you contemplate your life, just don’t drown on the little things.

[jordandog]

  Thank you so much for stealing! Seriously, I love paying higher prices to enable you and your friend's noble actions against establishments. We need more dishonest, self-centered, spoiled people like you in this world.
  What are you going to justify next?
  If anyone ever steals anything out of your car or breaks into your home, keep in mind you deserved it as far as they were concerned. Maybe they'll take some things you actually paid for, but you have more/enough 'stuff', so it's okay, right?

[Elizabethar]

Shoplifting is wrong no matter what or where you take it from. If it's not yours don't take it.

[purplerush44]

I'd have to agree with the other posters saying that it is wrong and does cost the establishment losses.

[jneff0603]

I was the assistant manager of a store for over a year and catching shoplifters was a highlight of our day...but 9 times outta 10 they were teens and I let them off with a warning to never come back in....as for stealing myself- it was very tempting...who would know? It was just me somedays..However, the store's policy on items that were outdated (tees,posters,shotglassses-not food) was to trash them and throw them out, so if an occasional shot glass  came home with me....

[aslesh]

Wow.. Using your friends justification, he/she can even steal from your home. If it was my friend, I'd punch him and talk some sense into him.

[Smiley10931]

no matter what the situation is stealing is bad, in some way or another that material object was worked for. So you are still taking out of someones pocket. Weather it is a salt or pepper shaker or not. Someone had to make for it to be there, which there are getting paid to do, and that person paying them for the item is the one geting stolen from. Hhmmm easy decision , if u take something and it is not paid for it is stealing. It shouldnt matter how much money you do or do not have. If u want something that bad or think you need it. Then work for it . Simple.

[irishlady1970]

The answer to this question is a no brainer, it's WRONG no matter how you look at it. Stealing is stealing no matter if it's from a big chain store, a Mom and Pop store or a resturant. The bottom line is when people shoplift items from a store, everyone else pays the price in the end.