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More than half of young Australians believe retail theft is justifiable to some degree, according to a new Monash University study that reveals a stark generational divide in attitudes toward shoplifting and retail crime. The Consumer Deviance Spotlight report, which surveyed 1,047 Australian shoppers in June 2025, found that 54 percent of consumers aged 18-34 consider taking items without paying justifiable under certain circumstances—compared to just 7 percent of those 55 and older.
The research identified widespread acceptance of behaviors traditionally considered theft, including not scanning items at self-checkout (32 percent found justifiable), scanning expensive items as cheaper alternatives (36 percent), and changing price tags (30 percent). Beyond outright theft, the study revealed even more permissive attitudes toward “grey area” behaviors like lying about competitor prices to secure discounts (64 percent) and staying silent when undercharged (60 percent).
Lead researcher Stephanie Atto from Monash Business School’s Australian Consumer and Retail Studies unit said the findings reflect growing concerns about retail crime, which has reached a 21-year high in Australia. ABS data shows 595,660 theft victims nationally in 2024—a 6 percent increase from the previous year, with nearly half occurring in retail settings. While most respondents acknowledged these behaviors are illegal, there’s an increasing gap between legal understanding and ethical justification, particularly among younger demographics facing cost-of-living pressures.
The study comes as retailers escalate efforts to combat retail crime through enhanced security measures, technology investments, and calls for consistent national crime laws. However, researchers warn that enforcement alone may not address the underlying cultural shift, suggesting the problem requires tackling root causes including economic inequality and perceptions of corporate profiteering that drive consumers to rationalize theft as acceptable behavior.
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