Are Connecticut Shoppers More Likely to Bend the Self-Checkout Rules?

Are Wealthy Connecticut Shoppers More Likely to “Forget” to Scan That Fancy Cheese?

According to data from CT.Gov, Connecticut is one of the richest states in the nation — per-capita personal income was $85,237 in the fiscal year 2023, ranking second in the U.S. The top 5% of households in the state pull in an average of $637,673, higher than anywhere else.

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Here’s the spicy part: a recent LendingTree survey found that 27% of self-checkout users admit they’ve intentionally taken an item without scanning it — and that jumps to 40% for households making $100,000 or more.

Put those stats together and Connecticut starts to look like the perfect place for high-end self-checkout shenanigans. Wealthy shoppers can easily afford premium groceries — and yet a surprising number admit to skimming small items at the register. The study points to reasons like rising prices, the perception that stores are big and profitable, and the idea that self-checkout feels like unpaid labor.

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Does that make Connecticut the self-checkout crime capital? Not officially. But from what you see in Fairfield County, it’s not a stretch. Wealthy people treating a $4 jar of olives or a wedge of cheese like a loophole? Totally believable.

Next time you’re behind someone at self-checkout, don’t be shocked if that $14 cheese wedge doesn’t quite scan right. In Connecticut, money might make you rich — but not necessarily honest at the kiosk.

I can see the dishonesty in their eyes when I’m standing in line at Stop n’ Shop. I watch as they nervously shuffle their feet, eyes darting to and fro, all in a desperate attempt to sneak a $18 jar of premium honey past the register.

You know who you are. And you know you’re wearing pleated pants.

P.S. What’s the deal with these self-checkouts anyway? I’ve gotten used to them, but they’re always breaking down. Now they have to station someone there to fix them every time they malfunction. Couldn’t we just slap an apron on that person and put them at a regular register like the good old days?