TULSA, Okla. — A new study finds 30% of Americans now admit to shoplifting — up from 23% just a couple of years ago — with high prices and inflation cited as the primary drivers.
Matt Schulz is with LendingTree. It conducted the study. He told 2 News Oklahoma that economic pressure is pushing people toward taking everyday necessities rather than luxury items.
"It's more about walking into a grocery store and walking out with a loaf of bread or a pound of ground beef, so we're, we're talking mostly about people taking essentials."
Schulz said the economy is the clearest explanation for the trend.
"And for the most part, people are saying that high prices and inflation and just the economy in general is what is driving them to it."
The two stores people most commonly reported shoplifting from are Walmart and Family Dollar.
Who is shoplifting — and how
The study found generational differences in shoplifting rates.
"Gen Z and millennials were far more likely to admit that they had shoplifted, while the numbers were a lot smaller with Gen X and boomers."
Self-checkout systems also emerged as a contributing factor. Schulz said the shift toward self-checkout, driven by retailers looking to cut labor costs, has created new opportunities for theft.
"I think some of the growth we've seen in shoplifting is about opportunity. We've seen so many places lean on self-checkout as a way to reduce labor and reduce costs."
Schulz said the ease self-checkout adds to shoplifting could have some retailers rethinking the technology.
Cynthia Driver, a Tulsa resident 2 News spoke with at Whiteside Park after sharing the study's results, said the findings weren't entirely surprising.
"I see all the locked cabinets in the grocery stores and in the drug stores."
When told the study found most shoplifting involves basic food items rather than the high-value products kept behind locked cases, Driver's reaction was simple.
"That's sad."
Driver said she could see how self-checkout plays a role.
"I would imagine so cause you're right there and just scoot something past it."
The risk people are willing to take
Despite the legal consequences, Schulz said the data suggests many people feel they have no other choice.
"I think it says a lot that a lot of people are willing to take the risk of getting caught shoplifting because they are just looking for ways to make ends meet and to, and to deal with higher prices."
In Oklahoma, shoplifting penalties are based on the value of the stolen merchandise.
For misdemeanor shoplifting — merchandise valued under $1,000 — a first or second offense involving a single item carries fines from $10 to $500, up to 30 days in county jail, or both.
A first or second offense involving multiple items carries fines from $50 to $500, up to 30 days in jail, or both.
A third or subsequent misdemeanor offense carries fines up to $1,000, up to one year in county jail, or both.
When the value of stolen merchandise reaches $1,000 or more, shoplifting becomes a felony. Merchandise valued between $1,000 and $2,499 can result in up to a 2-year prison sentence.
Merchandise valued between$2,500 and $14,999 carries up to 5 years in prison.
Merchandise valued at $15,000 or more carries up to 8 years in prison and a fine up to $1,000.
Help is available for those struggling
Schulz said anyone facing financial hardship should know that resources are available so they don't need to shoplift and risk a criminal record.
"There are so many organizations and groups out there that can help you if you are really struggling financially or wondering how you're gonna put food on the table, whether it's governmental, nonprofit, religious, whatever. There are organizations whose entire reason for being is to help people who are struggling with food, and it can be hard to make yourself vulnerable in that sort of way, but it's a whole lot easier to do that than it is to deal with the consequences of potentially getting caught by shoplifting."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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