A new report by Monash University has revealed more relaxed attitudes towards retail theft and other deviant retail behaviours, posing a growing challenge for retailers nationwide.

The ‘Consumer deviance spotlight’ report, developed by Monash Business School’s Australian Consumer and Retail Studies (ACRS) research unit, surveyed 1047 shoppers across Australia aged 18 years and older to investigate the attitudes and behaviours of Australian shoppers as part of the annual ACRS Retail Monitor. The data was collected in June 2025.

The study finds that, across blatant forms of theft, more than one in four surveyed consumers believe retail theft is justifiable to some degree, including specific behaviours like taking an item without paying for it (27%), changing price tags on products (30%), not scanning some items when using self-checkout terminals (32%), and scanning items as cheaper items when using self-checkout terminals (36%). 

Lead author of the report and ACRS Research & Strategy Director, Stephanie Atto, says although some shoppers consider these forms of theft justifiable, the vast majority (85-89%) still acknowledge they are illegal.

Notably, there were stark differences in how justifiable these deviant behaviours were viewed by different age groups. For example, taking an item without paying for it was not at all justifiable to 93% of surveyed consumers aged 55 years and older, while 7% believe it’s justifiable to some extent. In contrast, 46% of surveyed consumers aged 18-34 years of age considered taking an item and not paying for it to be not at all justifiable, while 54% believed it’s justifiable to some degree.

“What we are seeing is that a growing number of Australian shoppers, particularly younger people, consider some form of retail theft to be justifiable, whether that is taking an item without paying, changing price tags or deliberately misusing self-checkouts,” says Ms Atto. 

“These findings are concerning because while most people acknowledge such behaviours are illegal, there is a growing acceptance of them in practice.”

Other deviant behaviour

Apart from blatant theft, the research also finds an increasing acceptance of other deviant behaviour in retail settings. 

“Many Australians consider manipulating deals and promotions to be justifiable,” says Ms Atto.  

“Shoppers reported increased acceptance of lying about a child’s age to get a cheaper price, creating multiple email accounts to redeem a one-time offer, and claiming a lower price at a competitor to secure a discount, with 47% to 64% of [surveyed] Australians indicating these behaviours are justifiable to some extent.”

The report shows a similar trend in attitudes towards taking advantage of customer service. Respondents said it was justifiable to mislead shop assistants about unpriced items (34%), write negative reviews for compensation (40%), and stay silent when a bill was miscalculated in their favour (60%).

Safety and security

For the first time, the researchers also examined shoppers’ perspectives on shopping centre safety and security.

“With media portrayals of heightened threats in recent years, we were interested in understanding Australian shoppers’ views on shopping centre safety and security and found that the majority of shoppers felt safe in shopping centres,” says Ms Atto.

“Additionally, most recalled seeing security personnel during visits over the past three months.”

Rising crime

The report adds to recent ABS data showing that there were 595,660 victims of theft nationally in 2024, the highest in 21 years and a 6% increase on the previous year, with almost half of all incidents occurring in retail settings.

Although retail trade and consumer confidence have steadily improved in 2025, the Monash University researchers warn that rising retail crime threatens to offset these gains.

With the marked increase in retail crime, retailers and peak bodies have stepped up efforts to crack down on repeat offenders, called for consistent national crime laws and police responses, and launched awareness campaigns to encourage Australians to be vigilant and report suspicious activity.

“Retail crime is a shared problem that requires a united approach, integrating technology, stronger communication and consistent legal frameworks across retailers, law enforcement and government bodies,” says Ms Atto.

“While retail crime in Australia has escalated in recent years, these collective efforts represent important steps towards addressing the problem.”