ep. 224 - Why We Shoplift (And How They Are Trying to Stop You)

“I suddenly began to realize that everybody in America is a natural born thief.” - Jack Kerouac, On the RoadAmerica is a country of thieves. We stole the land from the people who stole the land. And we love of our romantic criminals. Who doesn't enjoy a good heist? So why so much fearmongering around shoplifting? They will tell you there is a sticky finger epidemic in America. That's why they have the deodorant behind plexiglass veils. That's why there are cameras absolutely everywhere. That's why they need to implement more facial recognition technology at the self-check outs. They will tell you that American companies lost more than $112 billion to shoplifting in 2022 alone. This is a lie. There is a lot of money to be made telling and selling the idea that corporations are victims. Slate reporter Alex Sammon's latest piece dives into the world of anti-shoplifting technology and the multibillion dollar industry behind it. He joins the show to talk about how we shoplift, why we shoplift, and how you can get away with it.Read the story here.