• SCB@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    Why wouldn’t I steal petty shit from a large chain store like Walmart?

    Drives prices up for other people on your community

    • dumpsterlid@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      At first they thought at first it was greedflation, that it was the 1% siphoning off all the profits from the economy to shareholders, they thought it was massive corporations hedging families out of the housing market, austerity and lack of social safety net… but the whole time it was ME stealing toothpaste from walmart, slowly undercutting the heart of america. They didn’t realize until it was too late, I had become too powerful. I have a whole bathroom full of stolen toothpaste tubes and I am ready.

      • SCB@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        If you think shoplifting doesn’t cause prices to go up, you’re just wrong, man. Yes, there can be, and are, other factors, too.

        Me, I prefer to not contribute to the problem.

        • dumpsterlid@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          It literally doesn’t, that is the whole point of this discussion? I am telling you, there is zero mathematical/economic evidence that shoplifting even registers as a problem worth investing time and energy into for massive corporations. They do invest time and energy, but it is because the narrative is useful to them. That is what this is about, it is about a story. Not economics, not math, not hard cold reality, it is about a narrative that emotionally engages you and gets you upset. It is about a story that rationalizes the world for you in a way that directs your anxiety and fear. There is zero scientific grounding in your beliefs about shoplifting, it might as well be a spiritual or religious belief you hold and just the way people will try to take advantage of you by preying upon your spiritual beliefs, so will corporations and politicians try to take advantage of you by preying upon your belief that shoplifting actually matters to economic behemoths that shape and undermine our entire economy.

          Literally THE ENTIRE point of being a massive chain is that random noise like shoplifting disappears into the overwhelming roar of economies of scale.

          Well, ease of regulatory capture is another bonus but that just strengthens my argument…

          • SCB@lemmy.world
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            11 months ago

            I am telling you, there is zero mathematical/economic evidence that shoplifting even registers as a problem

            Stores invest millions in anti-theft security, in technical, logistical, and physical ways. All of those things cost money.

            Stores make money by selling things.

            Literally THE ENTIRE point of being a massive chain is that random noise like shoplifting disappears into the overwhelming roar of economies of scale

            That’s not the entire point of it at all. Efficiency is.

            Also: https://blog.gitnux.com/walmart-shrinkage-statistics/

            • dumpsterlid@lemmy.world
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              11 months ago

              Stores invest millions in anti-theft security, in technical, logistical, and physical ways. All of those things cost money.

              You are making a clear logical fallacy by acting like this proves shoplifting must actually significantly impact their bottom line. Further there is abundant evidence that corporations invest massive amounts of money into things that don’t actually help them economically. Don’t tell me you also believe the narrative that markets are magically always rational??

              You don’t seem to be able to understand this isn’t about numbers, it is about narratives.

              • SCB@lemmy.world
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                11 months ago

                You are making a clear logical fallacy by acting like this proves shoplifting m

                If they invest the money, the money is spent, thus affecting the bottom line

                Not sure why you’re trying to argue this so hard, but there is no percent chance you will be correct here. Costs are indeed passed forward onto customers.

                Further there is abundant evidence that corporations invest massive amounts of money into things that don’t actually help them economically.

                The efficacy is completely irrelevant. What’s relevant is the costs induced. You are correct that people are irrational. That doesn’t change the fact that the irrationality costs them money, which they make back via pricing.

                Also I assure you that Wal-Mart has a very large team whose only goal is to measure the cost/benefit analysis of decisions like these - and those teams also cost money. Even the concept existing at all raises prices.

                • dumpsterlid@lemmy.world
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                  11 months ago

                  If they invest the money, the money is spent, thus affecting the bottom line

                  Not sure why you’re trying to argue this so hard, but there is no percent chance you will be correct here. Costs are indeed passed forward onto customers.

                  ahahahaha so now you are blaming me for the irrational economic behavior of corporations? I feel so powerful now, thank you.

                  • SCB@lemmy.world
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                    11 months ago

                    Yes I am blaming the cause for the effect. You are correct.

                    Bro just say you’re a thief and you don’t give a shit. You don’t need to do all the gymnastics. You can just be a thief.