Thievery ought to be treated more seriously. I don't think it's petty. I think it's horrendous. When someone robs me of my possessions, no matter how small, they've robbed me of the time it took me to earn those possessions. They've robbed me of part of my life.
Of course with all this boosting going on, we all wind up paying the cost in the form of higher prices in the stores, a reduced selection of available goods, and lousy customer service.