Our September 5 article, The Unsung Hero of Aisle 5: A Tale of Forgotten Change and Compassion at the Supermarket, led to many comments from readers across the country, including this email from “Wyatt,” a grocery store manager in the Midwest:

“Your story about forgotten change and kindness has been commented on in blogs by store personnel across the country who, on a daily basis, help families struggling to keep food on the table.

“You highlighted an aspect of our lives that is seldom acknowledged by the media. Often, contrary to explicit corporate instructions to toss food that is technically expired — but otherwise perfectly fine — many store managers tell service groups to meet us at the trash bin to take what they want before it is thrown away. But that is not why I am writing to you.”

Supermarkets move items around regularly

A short time later, on a video call, Wyatt gave me an earful of insider information, describing a strategy that grocery stores all over the country use that is “increasing the risk of theft from shoppers.”

“At one time,” he said, “when going to the store or sending our kids, we knew where everything was located, and that kind of order and predictability was especially important for older people with mobility problems. They often do not have the luxury of time to wander the floor, searching for items that are not in the same place.

“When supermarkets (move inventory around), it becomes terribly frustrating to customers because staples and familiar items are harder to find. Not only is this upsetting, but it opens the door to theft by pickpockets who take advantage of shoppers being distracted, their purse or wallet an easy grab.”

He added, “Today, a trip to pick up groceries can cost you many times the price of what’s in your basket, because supermarkets are … (creating) ideal conditions for theft by shoppers from shoppers.”

Wyatt pointed out that stores employ this strategy even though customers express “a high degree of dissatisfaction” with it.

So, while we’re already dealing with the frustration of higher prices, why are the corporations that run our nation’s supermarkets making a trip to the store so complicated?

Wyatt’s answer: “Management often does not care one iota about making the shopping experience simple. (This strategy) has proven to increase what we call ‘basket size,’ meaning that, by wandering the aisles, shoppers will find products new to them and will buy more. A lot of people call that manipulation, and I agree that that’s what it is.”

This strategy is a favorite with thieves

Wyatt referred me to “Tony,” a loss prevention officer who works at his store and has 25 years’ experience. He had strong feelings about the risks being created by poor supermarket design/remodeling and in-store marketing strategies “that are making it easy for someone to steal your purse or wallet.”

“Even with video surveillance,” he noted, “when we can see it happening in real time, it is difficult to stop these thefts from taking place. The activity of pickpockets is often under-reported and leads to damaging customer trust in not only the store where it happened but, as we have seen, across the entire chain.”

He listed circumstances and places when shoppers can be the most vulnerable to theft by other shoppers:

Forced proximity to others. Narrow aisles near entrances and exits that place customers close to one another, especially in sections of the store that require moving away from your cart for a moment, such as when you’re perusing produce. This creates distractions that result in ideal conditions for theft right out of your cart.

Cramped checkout lines. Thieves admit — and video surveillance confirms — that both regular and self-checkout lines create cramped spaces that, when combined with inattention, make it easier for pickpockets to operate unnoticed.

For example, you might get your cash ready, place it in your open purse and then place your items on the moving belt. When you notice your cash has been swiped, if several people are in line with you — unless someone saw the thief in action — who are you going to blame?

“Or, as we have seen,” Tony said, “at times, the victim even forgets they had left their money accessible, as they were so preoccupied with loading items onto the belt!”

Other distractions. Product demos and impulse-purchase displays grab attention, making customers less aware of their surroundings and belongings.

Recommendations to protect customers

I asked if either Wyatt or Tony had sent recommendations to upper management for ways to protect customers in the five stores the company owns.

“We did, anonymously,” Wyatt said, “as these days, it is a big risk if you want to keep your job.”

Tony added, “I can see a huge lawsuit against a store’s owners if someone sustains physical injury during efforts to prevent a pickpocket from taking their property.”

They shared these recommendations to help protect customers from theft:

Widen aisles to improve traffic movement, which should eliminate bottlenecks. This would make suspicious behavior far more visible.

Make cameras visible and aim them at entrances, exits, checkouts and congested zones.

Post signs in loud colors that state, “Pickpockets will be prosecuted. Customers, please do not leave your belongings unattended.”

Dennis Beaver Practices law in Bakersfield and welcomes comments and questions from readers,
which may be faxed to (661) 323-7993,
or e-mailed to Lagombeaver1 – at – Gmail.com.

The post Supermarkets Have Become a Pickpockets’ Paradise: How to Avoid Falling Victim appeared first on Dennis Beaver.

When was the last time that you were paying for your groceries or other items, and the cashier asked, “Would you like to round up your total for charity?” Perhaps they didn’t tell you which charity. Or maybe they simply asked, “Would you like to round it up?”

That’s what “Sylvia” and her mother encountered at a home decor chain store that sells bedding, kitchenware and holiday goods.

“After all of our items were rung up, my mom paid in cash, and then the cashier said, ‘Would you like to round it up?’ Mom said, ‘Sure, no worry. There is a shortage of pennies. That’s fine. We don’t need them.'”

“At home, we were reviewing the receipt and saw that the last entry was a 32-cent payment to St. Jude (Children’s Research Hospital). Totally unexpected! We had made a charitable donation without realizing it.

“We don’t object to the donation, but we feel we were misled because we weren’t informed where our money would go and therefore didn’t give our consent.

“I think this is something you might look into, Mr. Beaver. How widespread a practice is this?”

They were indeed misled

Sylvia is right. They were misled, and with Sylvia on the line, I confirmed it by speaking with the on-duty manager at the store, asking her, “Do you have a charity campaign for St. Jude?”

“Yes, we do.”

“Do your cashiers tell customers that ’rounding up’ their total means that their change goes to St. Jude? Or do they just say, ‘Would you like to round it up?'”

She refused to answer but insisted that Sylvia tell her who the cashier was. “Give me the register number on the receipt.”

I repeated my question, which she still didn’t answer. I took her refusal as an admission that, yes, cashiers ask customers if they want to round up their total without letting them know where their money will go.

Of course, who can forget the past few years of constantly being bombarded with “Would you like to give a dollar to XYZ organization?”

But we don’t hear that much anymore, because “checkout charity” has been replaced with the “round it up” verbiage.

Perfect example of impulse giving

America is a generous nation. If you look at the Charities Aid Foundation’s World Giving Index, the United States ranks near the top of countries whose citizens are among the most generous on the planet.

Now, there is giving when you know where your gift is going and you want to donate, but snookering us to give even a few cents to an unidentified cause is more than not acceptable. It is generally considered illegal to solicit charitable donations without revealing the name of the charity and the purpose for which the funds are being raised.

Both federal and state laws require transparency in charitable solicitations to protect the public from fraud.

And when it happens at the checkout counter, the customer has only seconds to decide.

In any other business or commercial setting, we would say, “Wait a minute, I have some questions.”

But when people waiting behind us in line are close enough to hear our conversation with the cashier, the result is pressure — you are being pressured to give your money (i.e., make a buying decision with no time to think it over) to an organization that might not have been identified.

After asking if you’d like to donate, the cashier should say, “And your donation goes to XYZ.”

But that’s not always so, according to the 2025 Charity Checkout Champions Report by Engage for Good and presented by Adyen, which analyzed 92 point-of-sale (POS) fundraising campaigns that raised over $275 million in 2024. The report found that only 74% of the campaigns clearly identified the benefiting charity.

I spoke to an executive of one of the North American companies that helps businesses collect donations for charities at checkout. He asked that he and his employer not be identified because the information he shared with me is more frank than his employer would prefer. Once I promised not to share his identity, he was quick to admit:

“We show cashiers how to seize on a customer’s psychologically weak moment, when their donation could be going to a group they might not approve of and would never give their money to.

“But impulse giving is huge in the charity business, and so your very presence in the checkout line lends itself to being pressured into making a split-second decision for an altruistic reason.

“Unless full disclosure is made about the recipient of the donation, this is highly unethical, but (businesses get) away with it all the time.”

Findings on impulse giving

Fifty-three percent of Americans donate impulsively at the checkout counter, according to a 2024 survey conducted by Binghamton University researchers. They found:

• Impulse giving is often driven by social pressure, emotional appeal and the ease of the transaction.

• The donation request is embedded in a moment of financial exchange, making it feel like a small, convenient act of generosity.

• Many consumers report feeling guilty or obligated when prompted, especially in face-to-face retail settings.

• Younger customers are more likely to give impulsively than older people.

What businesses should do

The executive I spoke with offered these suggestions to help retailers that adopt checkout-charity programs do everything correctly and steer clear of trouble:

1. Name and describe the charitable organization.

• The name and purpose of the charity should be clearly displayed at the checkout

• You should verify that it is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit

2. Provide an explanation for how customers’ funds will be used.

• Include administrative or processing fees

• Break down how much goes directly to the cause

3. Ensure funds are given voluntarily and that informed consent is obtained.

• Your workers should make it clear that the donation is optional

• Customers should be told that they can decline

• Your workers should not use language that invokes pressure or guilt

The executive concluded our interview with these cautionary words for retail businesses: “Checkout charity is highly effective, and at the same time, we are hearing more and more objections to the pressure to donate. My fear is this has the potential to backfire one day.”

All that said, checkout charity isn’t a bad thing when it’s done right. According to a Charity Watch blog, checkout donations allow charities, especially smaller ones, to raise significant amounts of money from a much larger pool of donors than they could normally reach. And because the process is part of a transaction that’s already being conducted, the fundraising expenses are much lower.

So the bottom line here is that shoppers should make sure that they are aware of what they’re donating to before they hand over even a small donation at the checkout. Here’s what you can do if you encounter a request to round up your total:

• If the cashier isn’t clear about what the money will be used for, ask.

• Don’t hesitate to ask further questions about the charity. Maybe it’s one you’d be happy to support.

• If you’re not interested or feel there isn’t enough information available, simply and politely say, “No, thank you” or “Not today.”

Dennis Beaver Practices law in Bakersfield and welcomes comments and questions from readers,
which may be faxed to (661) 323-7993,
or e-mailed to Lagombeaver1 – at – Gmail.com.

The post When Checkout Charity Gets Uncomfortable — and Maybe Even Illegal appeared first on Dennis Beaver.