This has happened to me three times now...

[Archae]

I go grocery shopping, reach for a bag of chocolate or hard candy, (I love cinnamon disks,) and find the bag already torn open and considerably lighter than the untorn bags.

Each time, I brought the torn bag to the checkout, and they appreciate me bringing them the torn bag.

But is this getting more common, stealing candy?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Sure seems like it is more common, my dear Archae...

I hate to see it happening.

Good of you to let the store folks know.

[BlueJazz]

2. You might very well be correct. The past month, I've seen people eating food while going down...

...the aisles. One lady have a cooked chicken from the Deli and was chomping it down as she searched for soap in the laundry aisle.
Another guy was eating raw hot dogs straight from the pack...and also some dude was eating Oscar Meyer ham while looking at cheeses.
I didn't say anything...(Maybe they were broke and hungry) I don't have the heart to get them in trouble for being poor.

[Yupster]

6. Sounds like the opening scene

of a zombie apocalypse movie.

[BlueJazz]

12. I didn't want to bring up the people over in the meat dept that were feasting on brains.

[Iris]

9. Maybe they planned to pay?

I remember once or twice as a kid being allowed to eat a packaged food while on the store and my mom handing the empty package to the cashier so it could be rung up.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

11. yeah, mine like to pick at the grapes and other fruits

so I have to be sure to tell the checker or actually carry an EXTRA whatever to be weighed... they usually don't mind over a few grapes, but I want to make sure they get their money for what my munchkins have noshed while in-store.

sP

[Iris]

20. That's a good solution.

I've seen people "test" produce before but I doubt they were so conscientious about paying for their samples!

[ZombieHorde]

4. Oh no! nt

[LeftInTX]

5. Someone else loves cinnamon disks

I haven't had this happen with candy. It is very common with make up.

[tblue37]

7. I think sometimes it is a parent giving the kids the candy to shut them up. nt

[No Vested Interest]

8. I've been known to pick up a snack, consume it while shopping, and

present the empty wrapper to the cashier for charging.
They never seem surprised. - I guess they see everything in a day's work.

[Archae]

14. Yeah, I have seen people eating while shopping, then they pay for it later.

But these are bags of candy torn open, stuff taken out and the bag put back on the shelf.

[No Vested Interest]

17. Open bags not good. Obviously, it happens.

Wouldn't be surprised if it's a store employee.
Personally, I'd notify the management once what has been happening - frequently over a period of time- and let it be the store's problem.

Have son who works as assistant manager in grocery - believe me, they've seen everything after a while, and the problem you're talking about would be minor compared to some. Any retail business knows that expecting losses is part of the business - not a pretty part, but a part, nevertheless, and, yes, it contributes to higher prices for us, the normal consumer, just as all bad actors in society cost us as citizens and taxpayers..

[Eleanors38]

10. When growing up, we'd test sample green peanuts at Winn Dixie

to see if they were worthy of boiling.

[Shankapotomus]

13. Sounds like a job for

the local investigator. Maybe call in the F.B.I. Could be terrorists selling the candy on the black market to by arms.

[el_bryanto]

15. To be fair - i do try to steal my candy from babies - but it's harder these days.

Sometimes you have to make do.

Bryant

[LiberalElite]

16. I had a friend

who had multiple emotional issues, including anorexia. For some reason she shoplifted food that she didn't intend to eat. When a security guard caught her she was always let go, apparently because her appearance was skin and bones.

[KurtNYC]

18. that is 'Trick AND Treat'.

[chrisa]

19. When I was in Walmart one day, some knucklehead had opened a bag of pretzels, ate half of them, and

then just threw it on the floor (with more spilling out). I mean, really?