Grocery Store Opens By Itself

A grocery store in Hamilton, New Zealand opened its doors automatically without any store employees present on Friday morning. The store's computer system opened the doors at 8AM, and shoppers came in as normal. Some bought groceries and used the self-checkout, while others just left without paying.
Supermarket owner Glenn Miller was initially furious over the incident, fearing that thousands of dollars of groceries might have walked out the door. But after reviewing the shop's security footage during the weekend his mood had mellowed.

"I can certainly see the funny side of it ... but I'd rather not have the publicity, to be honest. It makes me look a bit of a dickhead."

The security footage showed shoppers were not aware that there were no staff in the supermarket, Mr Miller said.

"They weren't in for a free-for-all. They were doing their normal shopping and then got to the checkout. Half of them paid and the other half thought, `this is a good deal' and walked out."

Customers' choices were recorded on closed-circuit TV, but Miller says he will not prosecute those who left without paying. Link to story. Link to video. -via Arbroath

Shame they can't easily prosecute the ones that left without paying. I can understand how you might not notice the lack of employees while you were shopping, even how you might still just go ahead and check out with the self-checkout registers. However, people know the groceries aren't free. They aren't just in the habit of strolling right out the front door without paying first. They knew they were stealing. They deserve to be punished. If it were a home rather than a business, it wouldn't seem okay that they're getting off without consequences. Just because a door's open doesn't mean "Come on in. Load up whatever you want and take it.".
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I'd like to know how long people waited on average before they just left. This is how used to poor service we've all gotten. When people ask me 'Can I help you' in the aisles of a store I now respond 'yes, please be available when I'm ready to check out' ...
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Melissa,

I think 'stealing' is overblown. If I go in to a store, spend my time selecting all the items, then have to stand there while the store chooses not to sell me those items, I'm a tad peeved that they just wasted my time. That doesn't justify 'stealing' but I do believe stores that make it unnecessarily difficult for me to give them my money earn little sympathy.
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So if the line at the cash register is too long for your liking you don't pay either?

Also: people want short lines, but short lines means more personnel, more personnel means higher prices. And what do people do? They go to the stores with the lowest prices. And then complain about lack of personnel...
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so what? will those thieves wait till the police arrest them and say "oh I forgot to pay. I was supposed to, but I didn't really care to go back anymore because I'm scared they will arrest me anyways when I step back there because my face is on cctv"

sheeesh, the money goes to charity, and the owner said at least for now he won't file any complaint.
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I would pay. I would assume in any store I'm on camera and if I walk out with stuff I would be tracked down. At the very least they should put up a gallery of stills showing the deadbeats to let them know they are not welcome in that store anymore.
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