A surprising number of wealthy customers at upmarket New York stores are pinching things they don't even want or need - like foundation in the wrong shade or a pre-used mascara tester - just for the thrill of it, staff say.
The big-spending customers feel entitled to help themselves to smaller items and accessories because of how much they pay for big-ticket items, a worker at makeup giant Sephora told the New York Post.
"They'd pay for one of the things they were still holding but drop something extra in their shopping bag, like their own version of a free gift.
"It becomes a cat-and-mouse game: What are you going to see me take today?" said the former employee, who says she once found a mum stashing cosmetics in an US$800 stroller.
An ex-employee at clothing and accessory store Anthropologie said customers "would spend insane amounts and at the same time steal a few items because they felt that given they had spent so much money, they were entitled to freebies."
