Last year I was passing the local supermarket when I saw a great offer on pineapples in the window for 59p, so I went in to buy one. And that was when my troubles started ...
Firstly there were no manned checkouts, a notice said that due to economies they only employed cashiers on Thursday and Friday evenings when they were busiest and please use the self-service tills. But most of these were out of order, and when I finally found one which was working it had a long queue. When I reached the head of the queue ten minutes later, I then found I couldn't pay my 59p in cash, I had to use a credit or debit card. Fortunately I did have a valid card with me, but when I tried to read the bar code on the pineapple it was all wrinkled and wouldn't scan, and the queue behind me was getting restive.
So I walked out with my pineapple without paying, but a shifty-looking guy at the door showed me a badge saying he was a revenue protection officer for the supermarket and that he'd seen me wilfully steal the pineapple. All my explanations fell on deaf ears - he explained that if you couldn't read the bar code on a pineapple you should buy a Mars Bar, then take it to the big store in town where they would exchange it for a pineapple, and all shoppers should be perfectly aware of this. Then he cut me a deal - if I gave him £80 in used notes he wouldn't get the police and the possibility of a prison sentence. What choice did I have - I gave him the £80 which he stuffed in a grubby pocket and said he hoped I'd have a nice day.
Need less to say the supermarket shut down not longer after, blaming dishonest customers. I can get a Mars Bar pretty much anywhere locally, but nowhere sells pineapples now.
Of course that story's not true as no retail organisation would treat their customers with such disdain and dishonesty, not unless they've bought some kind of franchise which gives them a monopoly!