Does Opportunity Make a Thief? Crime Economist Ben Vollaard on Self-Checkout Theft

The self-checkout seems to have turned seemingly law-abiding citizens into brazen thieves. Many supermarkets struggle with theft. Where has the shame gone? And does opportunity truly make the thief? ‘The temptation is just too great,’ observes crime economist Ben Vollaard.

At the Albert Heijn self-checkout on the Tilburg University campus, theft is a common occurrence. ‘A lot, an absurd amount,’ says Britt, a store employee at Albert Heijn To Go on the campus. ‘Mostly coffee. You have to ring that up separately, but customers often don’t. We issue warnings, and some thieves even receive store bans, but it keeps happening.’

This campus store isn’t alone. Earlier this year, Jumbo supermarkets reported that over €100 million worth of groceries were stolen in 2023. That’s about 1% of their total turnover, double what it was five years ago.

What’s going on? Why are we stealing more at self-checkouts? ‘For many people, the temptation is just too great,’ explains Ben Vollaard, associate professor of economics at Tilburg School of Economics and Management.

Easy Excuses

When people find themselves in situations where stealing is relatively easy, many aren’t as honest as they might have thought. ‘Opportunity does indeed make the thief,’ says Vollaard.

Theft is theft, regardless of the method. Yet many people walk out of the store shamelessly after not paying for some of their items and simply go about their day.

People often come up with so-called ‘easy excuses’ to justify their criminal behavior, like stealing at self-checkouts. For example, Vollaard notes, ‘This product isn’t expensive; the supermarket won’t miss it.’

Perception of Risk

‘The perception of risk also plays a crucial role,’ the crime economist continues. ‘What are the chances of getting caught?’ Each time someone steals without being caught, they lower that perceived risk in their mind. If caught, that risk increases again.

When self-checkouts were first introduced, checks were infrequent, and inspections often covered only a few items. As a result, the perceived chance of being caught remains low. People have learned, ‘I can get away with this.’

Impersonal Interaction

Another factor, according to Vollaard, is that shopping has become more impersonal. Staff shortages mean fewer employees are around. Customers often come in wearing earphones, barely acknowledging the staff.

‘Students can shop at the Albert Heijn on campus for years without having any contact with the employees. The fact that there’s human effort behind all those neatly stocked shelves and sandwiches is conveniently forgotten.’

And at the self-checkout, there’s no interaction with staff at all. You scan and pay for your items yourself, lowering the threshold for theft. Feelings of guilt are more likely to arise when you have to look someone in the eye.

Young People Steal More

It’s no surprise, then, that the campus Albert Heijn experiences a lot of theft, especially considering that young people tend to steal more. According to an RTL News panel, 7% of self-checkout users regularly steal something. Among 18- to 35-year-olds, that percentage rises to over 11%.

Students generally earn less than working adults, but income doesn’t explain why young people steal more. ‘There’s no clear link between how poor people are and how much they steal,’ Vollaard clarifies.

Britt from the AH To Go agrees that money isn’t the main reason for stealing: ‘They steal anything, even for small amounts. Recently, a group of boys stole a few lollipops. That’s, what, 50 cents? Ridiculous!’

_Advertentie.