Loblaw is a Candian-based superstore chain that recently began putting signs on their doors announcing that they will now be checking receipts on their way out of the store.
Shoppers began to complain after the signs were spotted, CBC News reported.
“I was really disgusted. I thought it was really adding insult to injury after all the price gouging,” John McCracken claimed to the outlet.
“It kind of makes you feel like a criminal,” Zain Ismail said to CBC. “I wasn’t exactly sure what triggered Loblaws to do this.”
Instead of checking bags, the store is only checking receipts which the signs say is to “validate and maintain inventory accuracy.”
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“‘Inventory accuracy’ is a tongue-in-cheek way, I think, of saying, ‘There’s a lot of [theft] going on in the store,'” criminal lawyer Kyla Lee said to CBC.
She said retailers typically introduce methods including bag and receipt checks to help mitigate shoplifting.
Lee added that technically shoppers don’t have to legally comply with this policy.
“In Canadian law, store employees or staff are not allowed to physically stop you from leaving or search your belongings unless they actually witness you commit an offense,” she said.
“You are free to walk past a receipt check, out the store.”
The only time it is required is when you are shopping at a membership-only retailer like Costco.