• hairyfeet@lemmy.ml
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    4 days ago

    My local supermarket has signs saying “we will prosecute shop lifters and involve the police”, but only next to the infant formula and nappies. Absolute disgrace

    • Pieisawesome@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      3 days ago

      Here is the thing, the people who are typically stealing formula, diapers, laundry detergent, razors, etc. aren’t stealing 1-2 packs for their own use.

      Those items are stolen in bulk by more organized shoplifters who will hit half a dozen stores in a day and literally fill carts and then resell them because they are easy to move, relatively shelf stable, etc.

      Morally, I am a bit conflicted. Fuck large corpos, but large corpos take large shrink (what theft, damaged goods, etc are called) budget overages out on the stores with less hours available for employees…

      So yeah, fuck big box stores and if people are stealing food, look the other way. Organized theft? Idk, hurts the employees more than the big box store

      Edit: Since people are doubting what I am saying, I’ve witnessed and experienced this first hand at retail stores.

      Here are some additional sources.

      https://abcnews.com/US/baby-formula-targeted-organized-retail-theft-rings/story?id=13293485

      https://www.tampabay28.com/news/region-hillsborough/alleged-shoplifting-ring-faces-rico-charges-after-stealing-baby-formula-throughout-florida

      A simple web search of “shoplifting ring baby formula” yields dozens of results.

      • MalReynolds@slrpnk.net
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        4 days ago

        Idk, hurts the employees more than the big box store

        Wut, how are employees hurt in any way ?

        Should probably look at the corpos like Nestle’s extortionate pricing of newborn supplies to the point that a black market emerges first. (And then whining about low birth rate)

        • unwarlikeExtortion@lemmy.ml
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          3 days ago

          Because in some (most) parts of this world, the concept is

          Privatize profit, socialize losses.

          So the company gets to keep all profit during good times, but employees “solidarily pay” for the losses.

        • Pieisawesome@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          3 days ago

          If the store budgets to lose 1% of their goods to shrink, and the store exceeds that budget, then corporate will make the budget up in other ways.

          When I worked retail, the largest budget item was labor. You can cut labor fairly easy to make up for shortfalls on other budgetary items, leaving a skeleton crew

          • hark@lemmy.world
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            3 days ago

            Then why are they ever running any more than a skeleton crew? For fun? You claim they could easily cut labor, but if it was that easy then they would’ve done it already. They’re always looking to maximize profit.

            • chonglibloodsport@lemmy.world
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              2 days ago

              Skeleton crews are overworked and burn out faster, leading to more turnover. They may save you money in the short term but they cost more money in the long term. They also open the door for more shoplifting, as an understaffed store is an easy mark. Lastly, they reduce sales because a poorly staffed store is a messy and understocked store. If things get bad enough, people stop shopping there outright. No one wants to shop in a place that feels dirty and unsafe.

            • arrow74@lemmy.zip
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              3 days ago

              For a store to actually run well you need more than a skeleton crew.

              But it’s definitely possible to scale down a couple days of the week and make your employee’s lives hell.

              If you always run a skeleton crew, eventually the store starts to get unorganized and boxes of packed inventory begin piling up everywhere

        • BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today
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          3 days ago

          You want evidence? Isn’t the fact that the formula is all locked up with signs threatening prosecution a pretty good clue?

        • melsaskca@lemmy.ca
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          3 days ago

          Sometimes all you need is to think your way through by reasoning. Some things are self-evident.

          • Calfpupa [she/her]@lemmy.ml
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            3 days ago

            Ah, so no evidence? Thats the difference between a fact and a well reasoned guess. So we’re making up stories to suck the toes of CEOs now on here, cool.

            • melsaskca@lemmy.ca
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              3 days ago

              You’ve gotta have some faith in your ability to think. There is no evidence that the sun will come up tomorrow, but the world keeps spinning. If I sip on a Slurpee, but don’t have a receipt, do you believe your eyes, or do you need the receipt? By the way, pretty well all of Science is based on well-reasoned guesses, then the move towards the truth of the guess is refined over time. Confirmation of facts is a good thing, but not always necessary, according to the universal “walks like a duck” rule. As far as sucking on toes? That says more about you than it does about evidentiary verification.

              • Lumidaub@feddit.org
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                3 days ago

                Maybe simply explain your reasoning for people who don’t come to the same conclusions as you.

                • melsaskca@lemmy.ca
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                  2 days ago

                  Might be a good idea if I’m having a debate. I’m just internet quipping, nothing more.

                  • Lumidaub@feddit.org
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                    2 days ago

                    Then you may want to signal your shitposting somehow if it’s in a serious discussion instead of implying everybody is somehow stupid for not following your reasoning.

                • melsaskca@lemmy.ca
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                  2 days ago

                  I was wondering if you’d latch onto that and ignore everything else. Maybe we’re testing each other.

          • BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today
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            3 days ago

            It’s called Critical Thinking Skills, and they should be the absolute top priority in public schools. You can always look up facts on the phone in your pocket, we need Citizens who can THINK properly.

      • hark@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        I’m sure you could also pull up stories of the “welfare queen” by searching those words, but that doesn’t mean it’s as widespread or as big of a problem as portrayed.

        • Pieisawesome@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          3 days ago

          Ok. So what source is acceptable to you?

          I provided my experience, then was asked for evidence. I then provided evidence and that isn’t good enough.

          Please provide counter evidence before complaining that my evidence is not good enough. You are placing the burden entirely on me and that isn’t how fair and equitable debate should work.

      • Friego@piefed.ca
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        3 days ago

        Maybe they could afford them when they got pregnant and then lost their jobs. We don’t know all the details of every different situation and it might be better to have a more compassion and less judgment.

      • yermaw@sh.itjust.works
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        3 days ago

        Good point. Let the little fuckers starve to death. That’ll teach them for getting squeezed out of a peasant vagina.