Walmart Greeter Says He Let Moms Steal Baby Formula Because He Only Made $11.50
A former Walmart greeter said that he wasn't paid enough to care about stopping customers from stealing baby formula and diapers.

Sep. 17 2023, Updated 4:31 p.m. ET

It's no secret Walmart is a retail juggernaut.

When Sam Walton wrote about the greeter positions in his autobiography, he knew exactly what he was doing when he created them. They served a dual purpose: to make "older" customers feel more welcomed in stores but to also help provide an extra layer of presumed security. If there was someone at the front of the store saying hello and making eye contact with people, maybe many would-be thieves would think twice before lifting some toothpaste or a few cans of beer from the grocery.
But the chain has been struggling to prevent theft at many locations.

Fast forward to the present day and it's clear that the position isn't doing as much as Walmart would like in order to bolster its loss prevention initiatives. It's estimated that the mega-retailer loses a whopping $3 billion every single year due to theft. And while that may seem like a really, really high number (because it is) that's actually a small percentage of what the retailer grosses annually.
They've gone to great lengths with training and technology to prevent it.

Walmart has implemented a number of anti-theft technologies in its stores, mainly around its self-check-out areas. These spots are usually located near the front of the store, which has left many people wondering if the "greeter" position is even necessary anymore.
It's a hard ask of employees who aren't paid enough to really care.

The efficacy of such a position and the expectation of employees to fulfill its intended purpose is further questioned when one considers how low Walmart's minimum pay is for its employees. But what is the motivation for these employees to work harder to prevent it when they're paid so low?
One former employee says he didn't stop parents who would steal formula.

This could be why so many folks are commenting on a TikTok uploaded by Brandon Tamayo, who posts under the username @brandontamayo02. He stitched the now-viral clip with another posted by @commlion, which states "If you see anyone stealing, no you didn't."
The TikToker said he would ignore parents checking out with baby supplies.

"Every time I saw a customer, mostly a woman, and I checked the receipt, and I saw Pampers or baby formula that was not on the receipt, I just said, ‘Have a great day,'" Brandon said.
Commenters claimed he was a hero for turning a blind eye.

Brandon responded by saying that he would intentionally not hassle customers who had Pampers and Formula in their shopping carts/baskets, even if they didn't pay for it.
He cited the cost of raising kids as his primary reason.

His primary reason for not doing so is the cost of childcare. Chances are if someone is buying baby formula it's because they direly need it. The cost of the food adds up and once it's poured and mixed, a baby needs to consume it almost immediately: it's not like you can put a bottle of formula in the refrigerator and save it for later
Not to mention the low pay by Walmart.

The other reason was that there really wasn't an incentive for employees who curbed thefts; it's not like Walmart was giving a "stopped theft" bonus for every greeter who halted someone from lifting items from the store.
Walmart wasn't exactly rewarding employees for going above and beyond.

"Why? Because they’re expensive and kids are expensive, in general. And my store, and the company in general, we didn’t really get a reward for the amount of stuff we caught people stealing. Did I care? No, because I was making $11.50 at the time."
He earned praise by many for his attitude towards struggling parents.

Many users on the platform side with Brandon and his logic, and others who said they also worked as greeters did the same thing, even if it did end in them getting fired from the store. Brandon said that he was never let go because he was one of his location's more dependable employees.
Others said Walmart still rakes in billions anyway.

Many other users said that theft for Walmart shouldn't be an issue because the company makes billions upon billions of dollars, others stated that regardless of the impetus for a person's decision to steal that theft is still theft.
Is theft still theft? The stance sparked a debate.

What do you think? Is Brandon a silent retail hero ensuring that moms are getting vital materials to take care of their children? Or is he just a jaded worker who hates the game?