A barcode bandit's efforts to steal hundreds of dollars worth of groceries using Blu Tack and chocolate bars have come unstuck in a NSW courtroom.

Wollongong man Adrian Rondan, 54, appeared in Wollongong Court last week where he pleaded guilty to five counts of dishonestly obtaining property by deception after he was caught on CCTV stealing hundreds of dollars worth of groceries from his local Coles. The court heard he used Blu Tack to stick barcodes cut from Caramello Koala chocolate bars and gum to his finger then scanned them at the self-serve check-outa in place of other, more expensive, items he walked out of the supermarket with.

Rondan walked away with ice-cream, mussels, steaks, toothpaste, bandaids and bug spray during five visits to Coles at Wollongong Central in April but his receipt only listed the gum packets and chocolates.

On one shopping trip, he 'bought' bread, boxes of Golden Gaytime, chicken drumsticks, steak, coconut water and a $60 hair clipper which came to a bill of $143.10. He paid $11.20.

Rondan was sentenced to nine months in prison to be served through an intensive corrections order at home.

When confronted by A Current Affair this week, Rondan admitted what he did was wrong but explained that he was unemployed and short of money.

He added that his mother's mounting medical bills led him to desperate measures.

'We were very short of money ... I know I did wrong,' he said.

'I didn't want to shoplift. I didn't want to brazenly take things and put them in my pocket.'

He was surprised to find the television crew chasing after him while walking his dog along the beach.

'Who dobbed me in?' he asked the journalist.

He declined her offer of some Caramello Koalas and admitted he was sorry.

'Of course I am. I said that in court,' he said.

Rondan's lawyer told the court last week that his client was on a disability support pension and was also a full-time carer to his elderly mother, the Illawarra Mercury reported.

Magistrate Mark Douglass opted against jail time but warned Rondan he would be sent to prison if he shoplifted again.

'I'm not sure whether you'd do well in prison sir,' Magistrate Douglass said.

'Prison is a very violent, aggressive, competitive place ... you'd be going in there as someone who's older and probably not as physically capable as many.'

Shoplifting On The Rise

The 'barcode bandit' is not the only person resorting to shoplifting to make ends meet as the cost-of-living crisis continues to squeeze Australians.

Finder finance expert Taylor Blackburn revealed that about seven per cent of Australians have admitted to stealing from supermarkets or scanning items wrongfully, which is almost double last year's figures.

'It's one thing to do everything you can to save a buck, but having a criminal record may not be the best way to go about it,' Blackburn told A Current Affair.

The Shoplifting Problem

The problem is rife across Australia due to the cost-of-living crisis, with a Yahoo Finance poll of more than 8,000 people showing at least 12 per cent of people have shoplifted because they can't afford their normal groceries.

Blackburn said the number of Australians admitting to shoplifting has almost doubled since last year.

Research released by Finder found one in seven respondents, equivalent to three million Aussies, have admitted to shoplifting in the past 12 months.

When the data was last researched in October last year, 5 per cent of people said they stole at the supermarket checkout. That's now increased to 7 per cent.

The same portion of people (7 per cent) said they deliberately lied about what they scanned - which has doubled since last year.

Graham Cooke, head of consumer research at Finder, said the figures were alarming.

'Many households are struggling and are having to make difficult, and in some cases, criminal choices to cope,' he said. 'The youngest Aussies are seemingly the most affected.'

Shoplifting is a crime and punishable under section 117 of the Crimes Act 1900. If the value of the stolen goods doesn’t go above $5,000, then a shoplifter can face a maximum penalty of a $5,500 fine and/or 12 months imprisonment if it’s dealt with in local court, according to LY Lawyers.

If the goods are valued above $5,000 then that maximum penalty goes up to two years behind bars. The maximum penalty for district court matters of shoplifting or larceny is up to five years in jail.

Supermarkets Fighting Back

Coles and Woolworths have deployed anti-theft measures, like checkout technology, more security cameras, and smart-gates, to ensure shoplifting is kept to an absolute minimum.

While it has come under scrutiny, it's clearly worked for one brand.

In Coles' earnings announcement this week, where the supermarket announced a $1.1 billion profit, it revealed these measures contributed $80 million to Coles' bottom line in just the second half of the year.

Last year, Coles announced 20 per cent stock losses were from shoplifting and food waste, while competitor Woolies estimated theft made up a quarter of stock loss.

The Barcode Bandit's Regrets

The barcode bandit's efforts to get away with shoplifting may have been ingenious, but his crimes have ultimately landed him in hot water. His story serves as a reminder of the consequences of resorting to illegal means, however desperate the circumstances may be. The growing problem of shoplifting in Australia highlights the need for a deeper understanding of the societal factors driving it, and for effective strategies to address it.