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27% of Self-Checkout Users Admit to Theft, Study Finds

12/8/2025

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Summary

Story summary

A Lending Tree study finds that 27% of self-checkout users admit to stealing items, primarily food staples.
Theft is driven by unaffordable essentials (47%) and price increases from tariffs (46%).
The rate has risen 12% since 2023.
Millennials (41%) and Gen Z (37%) are most likely to report intentional theft.
Retailers are responding by increasing monitoring and limiting self-checkout options.

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Story summary

A Lending Tree study finds that 27% of self-checkout users admit to stealing items, primarily food staples.
Theft is driven by unaffordable essentials (47%) and price increases from tariffs (46%).
The rate has risen 12% since 2023.
Millennials (41%) and Gen Z (37%) are most likely to report intentional theft.
Retailers are responding by increasing monitoring and limiting self-checkout options.