Re:What We Lose to Shoplifting
by JohnFen on Thursday August 10, 2023 @06:37PM
(#37082616)
There are some stores in the US that do this, but it runs against a problem: stores can ask to look through your purchases, but customers have the right to refuse to allow it and leave anyway.
If the store thinks a specific person has stolen something, they can detain the person until the police arrive to investigate, but they can't detain people for simply refusing to allow a bag check.
The other problem is that stores that do this experience a reduction in the number of shoppers that will go there. That can be worth it, of course, if the practice stops enough shoplifting loss to make up for the lost sales.
If the store thinks a specific person has stolen something, they can detain the person until the police arrive to investigate, but they can't detain people for simply refusing to allow a bag check.
The other problem is that stores that do this experience a reduction in the number of shoppers that will go there. That can be worth it, of course, if the practice stops enough shoplifting loss to make up for the lost sales.