A lot of people would think that if you’re cheap, the ultimate cheapness tip is to steal. I ferverently disagree with this. Stealing increases costs of goods sold quite substantially, and thus prices of items.
Tip #11: Do not support stealing or the repurchase of stolen merchandise.
Most department stores hire a whole team to handle merchandise protection, from salaried employees doing raids to welcomers at the front of stores. Stealing is a serious issue that retail companies have to unfortunately deal with.
I was apalled at how serious merchandise stealing was, both in the nerve of the shoplifters as well as how much it affects everyone else. Most retail stores lose 1-2% of profits (profits, not revenues!) from stolen products. For stores like Macy’s, this would mean millions of dollars. The National Retail Federation estimates juveniles steal $2.8 billion of merchandise per year. Wow…
It intrigued me how creatively manipulating some people got. Some people would just grab a stack of 30 jeans and run out. Others would enter dressing stalls in wheelchairs just to exit with a pile of clothes under them. Some skinny people left the dressing rooms obese. Really?
I was suprised to hear that a lot of the people who steal aren’t people who can’t necessarily afford clothes, but actually lazy crooks that would steal and then re-sell the items, often at flea markets or the LA Fashion District. What nerve! This information really shook me. The most common stolen item is jeans. I used to browse the stalls in Fashion District and wonder wow, how could they sell jeans for $15? How could they make a profit?? Well…if those jeans were stolen, they’re making 100% profit, compared to a retail chain who’d only make $5 from it. It made me realize that my purchase decisions were really valuable. That now as an informed consumer, purchasing products that I now know are likely stolen is taking not only billions of dollars from legit stores, but also from everyday paying consumers.
Buy jeans from a legit place.
from 366 votes
Leave Your Reply