A surprising number of Aussies have owned up to stealing a shopping trolley or basket from the supermarket, with some even admitting they did it out of spite.
A survey of 1062 people from comparison site Finder, revealed 16 per cent have taken a trolley or basket from the shops in the past 12 months. This equates to 3.3 million of the national population.
Gen Z were the worst offenders, with 30 per cent admitting to doing it, compared to 21 per cent of Gen Y and 10 per cent of Gen X.
The research found six per cent couldn't be bothered to put their trolley or basket back, while the same amount were fuelled by frustration, often thanks to inflated costs in the shopping aisles.
Three per cent said it was to save money on bag fees, while another three per cent said it was for use on future shopping trips.
Another three per cent said they did it just so they could take it for a cruise with friends.
And two per cent haven't returned a basket or trolley so they could more comfortably walk their groceries home.
But whatever the reason for stealing a shopping trolley or basket from the supermarket, Finder money expert, Rebecca Pike said you can bet the supermarkets will act if the trend continues.
"Grocers will take more extreme measures to protect their property," she said.
Pike said supermarkets are cracking down on theft in supermarkets.
"Anti-theft technology has been installed in many supermarkets as the cost of living continues to wreak havoc," she said.
"Multiple security measures have been enforced to stop shoppers in their tracks."
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