According to a recent survey conducted by LendingTree among 2,000 Americans, nearly half of Generation Z respondents stated that they steal the most expensive item from the shopping cart, while only 37% said they would steal only essential items, according to the New York Post.

But some said that this criminal behavior is a means of revenge.

"We have so many companies that don't care about their customers, only about making money", a teenager revealed to Vice in 2020. At that time, there was an increase in the number of shoplifting tips and tricks that went viral online.

"If we can punish the corporation, we feel like we've done everything we can", he added.

Their opinions indicate a broader trend, as just over half of Generation Z had a negative view of capitalism, according to a 2021 survey.

"I don't think stealing from big corporations is immoral because it diminishes systems that exploit their workers and resources for economic gain", said a 19-year-old to Dazed last year.

Popular chains, such as Costco and Wegmans, began rethinking self-pay cash registers late last year; Walmart even removed these cash registers from three of its locations in New Mexico.

According to CNN, retailers have a "shrink" problem - a loss of goods, either due to petty theft or due to a customer error, such as scanning the wrong type of apple or tomato - citing an international study showing a 4% loss rate for companies with self-service cash registers.

But not all stores suffer the same losses. For example, Amazon uses "Just Walk Out" technology to track which items customers take from the shelf, charging them once they leave the store.

Gianna Puerini, Amazon Go's vice president, previously told CNBC that theft occurs "so rarely" and at that time, she "hadn't received an error" with the implemented method. In fact, the technology could reduce shoplifting rates in traditional stores.