Australians are stealing at gas bowsers and supermarket self-serve checkouts as a result of the high cost of living; about four million have admitted to taking essentials in the previous year.
According to a Finder National Survey, two million consumers self-scan goods like avocados and pass them off as less expensive vegetables like onions.
The disturbing study results come after consumer prices increased by more than 6% over the previous year, and one expert claims that Australians are “stealing to live.”
According to the study, 9% of people used self-serve check outs to steal products, while 10% admitted to lying on purpose by scanning the incorrect items in (pictured, a Coles shopper in Melbourne)
Some consumers struggle to pay for basic essentials, according to financial expert Richard Whitten of Finder, who noted that the typical shopper spends $526.86 a month on food.
Many individuals are struggling since the price of necessities like gas, rent, and electricity has increased significantly, according to Mr. Whitten.
As a consequence, an increasing number of Australians are stealing goods to live.
According to the study, 3.8 million Australians, or one in five, confessed to stealing things.
The self-serve checkouts were used by 9% of consumers who committed theft, and 10% of shoppers lied about what they scanned.
6% of drivers admitted to leaving the gas station without paying.
While this is going on, the world’s largest grocery chains are making every effort to stop consumers from stealing items worth billions of dollars every year.
Coles and Woolworths have added security cameras and sophisticated scanning equipment that can identify every every feature of a product, even down to the kind of apple a customer is weighing.
According to the Global Retail Theft Barometer, Woolworths loses up to $1 billion annually while Coles is predicted to lose $891 million annually due to theft.
There are safer methods to reduce expenses, according to Mr. Whitten.
“Loyalty doesn’t pay; compare prices for all of your costs. You might save hundreds of dollars a year by making simple changes.
‘If you’re genuinely having trouble paying your bills, get in touch with your service providers and find out about their payment plans or hardship procedures. They may collaborate with you to reduce some tension and establish the initiative.
When the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) announced its quarterly Consumer Price Index (CPI) numbers last month, it became clear why groceries are more costly.
Coles and Woolworths have introduced surveillance cameras and high-tech scanning systems that can detect product detail down to what apple type a shopper is scanning (pictured, self-serve checkouts at a Woolworths store in Sydney)
It revealed that consumer prices increased by 6.1% over the previous year, marking the biggest level of inflation in 20 years.
According to the ABS, prices for vegetables, fruit, morning cereals, bread, eggs, oils, butter, and margarines have all increased significantly in the last year.
Due to heavy floods in south-east Queensland and New South Wales, the cost of vegetables saw the highest increase among staple food goods.
In the last three months, vegetable prices increased throughout Australia by 7.3%, but in certain major cities they increased much more.
With 98% of consumers stating they had never done it, the Finder study revealed that customers were on the cautious side when it came to leaving a café or restaurant without paying.
According to the report, 81% of consumers indicated they had not stolen gasoline, cheated at checkouts, or left a restaurant without paying the bill.
1,010 participants were polled for the study.
A confronting graph has illustrated the alarming rise in the cost of basic groceries, with vegetables, cereal and other household staples at the top of the list of steep price rises