Look at this way. They do it to everyone. It is an equal opportunity thing. I work there and have no heartburn over it. It is probably more cost effective to pay someone to stand there checking receipts than to put those little magnetic things into items and then having to reshrinkwrap them.
Having worked retail for more years than I care to think about, there are many people who will take anything that isn’t nailed down. Heck, they rip open bags of candy back on the candy aisles and grab out what they want and then go on. I’ve even seen a case of some kind of cold coffee drink with one missing out of the case where someone ripped the plastic and snagged themselves a drink.
I help watch our DVD aisle. There are fools who used to stick them into a box of pampers and go right on out with them. We were losing thousands of dollars a month just in DVDs. What stopped it was putting one or two people watching that aisle all the time. Most people are used to us being there and it doesn’t seem to bother them. At least if someone has a question, we are right there to help them whether it’s about DVDs or something else.
I see this ALL the time. I don't even work at Wal-Mart or Sam's but I do shop there. I see it with toys, milk, pampers, bags of chips, drinks, candy--you name it. I see the evidence ALL the time. Some people think they are entitled to FREEBIES. I have my suspicions (some of it seen with my own eyes) about who the biggest culprits are--at least in my area. I was told in one local Wal-Mart they don't even have security any more.