‘Justifiable’: More than half of young Aussies think it’s fine to shoplift and cheat self-checkout
Australians have expressed alarm over the surge in a “concerning” attitude towards retail among young Australians. See what they said, have your say.
More than half of young Australians believe it’s acceptable to steal from shops, with a growing number admitting to cheating self-check-outs.
A study published by Monash University released today reveals that shoppers are becoming more accepting of retail theft, with one in four deeming the crime “justifiable.”
Among 18 to 34-year-olds, the figure jumps dramatically, with 54 per cent say taking an item without paying for it is “justifiable to some extent”.
Lead author of the report and ACRS Research & Strategy Director, Stephanie Atto, said the number of young people turning a blind eye to crime was worrying.
“These findings are concerning because while most people acknowledge such behaviours are illegal, there is a growing acceptance of them in practice,” she said.
News Corp readers agreed with many pointing the finger at parents.
“This is really disturbing. Shows a real lack of the family unit in my opinion. Parents are largely responsible for educating children on what’s right or wrong, said Paul Diamond.
Reader Jim agreed: “Well they should have learnt at a young age about stealing. Obviously not”.
“This is so disgusting and so wrong. Scares me what the younger generation are going to turn into,” said Linley.
Others blamed cost of living and self-checkouts for the surge in thefts.
“Retailers wanted to not pay staff wages for multiple checkouts and have it all automated (and free for them) They have literally created the conditions that would lead to a shoplifting epidemic,” said Ming.
Steven said: “Times are tough!” and added “The supermarkets rob us blind”.
Ross agreed: ‘The cost of food in this country extraordinary. Is it any wonder young people are doing this.”
Researchers from the Consumer Deviance Spotlight report say self-checkout theft is becoming normalised, with a third of shoppers admitting they’ve failed to scan items or deliberately scanned them at cheaper prices.
“A growing number of shoppers, particularly young people, consider some form of retail theft to be justifiable – whether that’s not scanning an item, changing price tags or taking advantage of deals,” Ms Atto said.
The report also found many shoppers would exploit promotions by faking their child’s age to get a cheaper ticket, creating multiple emails to get one-off offers, or claiming fake price matches at competitors.
Between 47 and 64 per cent of all shoppers said these acts were “justifiable to some extent.”
More than 1000 Australian’s were surveyed across the country in June 2025.
The findings suggested that as well and targeting the shelves, 40 per cent of shoppers said it was fine to write a bad review for compensation.
A further 60 per cent also admitted they’d keep quiet if a bill was miscalculated in their favour.
Despite the rise in retail crime, most consumers told researchers they still felt safe in shopping centres, with the majority seeing security guards in the past three months.
The report comes as theft rates hit a 21-year high, with 595,660 victims of theft recorded nationally in 2024, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Retailers are now calling on the government to crack down on what’s fast becoming a billion-dollar problem.
“Retail crime is a shared problem that requires a united approach,” Ms Atto said.
“While theft has escalated in recent years, stronger communication, better technology and consistent laws will help tackle it.”
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Originally published as ‘Justifiable’: More than half of young Aussies think it’s fine to shoplift and cheat self-checkout
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