...
By James Bickerton
News Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
A woman has been charged with theft and criminal trespass after allegedly shoplifting from a Walmart store in Memphis, Tennessee, despite having already been banned from all the chain's stores across the United States.
Walmart said in a statement provided to Newsweek that there are rare instances where "someone is no longer welcome in our stores."
Why It Matters
Shoplifting is a major problem in the U.S., with theft costing retailers $93.9 billion in 2021, according to Capitol One Shopping Research. Of the $93.9 billion, 37 percent was accounted for by external theft, or shoplifting, making it the single largest category of theft.
Read More on U.S.
Between 2019 and 2023, shoplifting across the U.S. increased by 93 percent according to a report produced by the National Retail Federation and Loss Prevention Research Council. In the first half of 2024, Chattanooga in Tennessee had the highest shoplifting rate in the nation with 89.83 incidents per 100,000 people.
What To Know
Ashley Cross, aged 37, was charged with theft of merchandise less than $1,000 and criminal trespass after allegedly shoplifting from a Walmart store on Elvis Presley Boulevard in Memphis, Tennessee, along with another woman.
Cross had already been placed on the Authorization of Agency list, meaning she had been banned from all Walmart stores in the country, following previous incidents of alleged shoplifting.
Speaking to local news outlet WREG, Memphis police said Cross entered the store with another woman, with the pair then using an old watch bar code battery to scan a number of items at a self-service machine for just $1 each.
In total, Cross is accused of having stolen 11 packs of Ramen noodles, jeans, a T-shirt and boots valued at $137.34. As she had already been banned from all Walmarts in the U.S., she was also charged with trespass.
...
Cross' companion received a misdemeanor citation for theft after allegedly taking two bras, a backpack, a lash kit and a car accessory valued at $57.86 using the same bar code scanning technique.
Walmart reserves the right to ban people from its stores for a range of disruptive behaviors, including shoplifting.
In 2013, an Arizona man was banned from all Walmart stores after allegedly threatening members of staff.
Two years later, New Jersey woman Johanna Cassimore, 63, was prohibited from entering Walmart outlets for life after stealing $78 worth of vitamins.
In November 2024, voters in California passed Proposition 36 which rolled back a 2014 law which reclassified theft under $950 as a misdemeanor.
What People Are Saying
Walmart said in the statement to Newsweek: "We value our customers and associates and want them to have a pleasant shopping experience. Though rare, there are instances when someone is no longer welcome in our stores."
One Memphis Walmart customer told WREG: "She knows how to get by, so I think it would be best just to ban her."
A second customer said: "It don't make no sense that a person would steal from a Walmart store."
What Happens Next
Cross was taken to jail and given a bond of $7,500. She is next due to appear in court on February 19.
Update 2/14/25, 9:02 a.m. ET: This story has been updated with a statement from Walmart.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines