A Walmart shopper seemingly joked about stealing items while using self-checkout.
Jierry Cosmeus (@jeffycos21) accrued 1.7 million views on the clip, leaving a number of commenters blaming theft as to why so many Walmart stores are closing, with others remarking that they feel the need to shoplift due to how high the cost of living in the U.S. has become.
Cosmeus says in a text overlay of his TikTok: “Yesterday I was at Walmart, bought some things, went to the cashier, she said my total is $145.27. I put my [poop emoji] back in the cart, took my a$$ to self checkout. Total $34.72.”
“Self check out will never fail you…” he adds via the caption.
Commenters who responded to his video had differing opinions on Walmart shoppers giving themselves the old five-finger discount while scanning—or not scanning—items at self-checkout. One individual said that it’s behavior like this that explains why so many Walmart stores are closing. The Daily Mail reported that 17 separate locations in nine states, including four stores in Chicago, would be closed by the retailer due to increased shoplifting instances.
Someone else said that they “could never not scan something.”
However, there were other folks who joked that because of their ability to not scan items at self checkout, they were able to plan a nice vacation for themselves. “Self checkout has saved me enough Togo to Disneyworld!” one exclaimed.
“Right!! I’m able to afford much more when I do self check out!! Thx Walmart,” another quipped.
It seems that the aforementioned comment was a joke as Cosmeus wrote that there were some folks on the platform who took his post too seriously. “Thank you, some people here take everything for the truth, it’s tiktok,” he shared.
But someone else said that stealing items from retailers has become a necessary evil for them due to the current state of the U.S. economy. Inflation has reportedly hit a 41-year high in the United States. “Lol I got money and I still have to atleast not scan 1-2 items out of a cart full. In my mind I’m cutting out inflation or taxes that way,” the user shared.
@jeffycos21 self check out will never fail you…#foryourpage #fypシ #x2ybca #viral ♬ original sound – Low Low
In December of 2022, CNBC reported that Walmart’s CEO Doug McMillon said that the high number of thefts the chain was experiencing could ultimately lead to store closures and jumps in prices, the latter of which several shoppers have complained about online.
Walmart has also taken a strong stance against theft in recent years. Store employees have highlighted some of the anti-theft technology implemented at the self-checkout area, like the installation of cameras that record transactions. Shoppers have also warned against skipping scanning items at self-checkout after getting caught themselves.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Walmart via email and to Cosmeus via TikTok comment for further information.
