I just bought my own key for those cabinets because even if I order something from my local Walmart for delivery or pickup that is in one of these, they will say it's sold out even if they have a full shelf of shit.
You're claiming they all use the exact same key and also no one sees you on a security camera and kicks you out..? Also they just refuse to sell you things they have but lie about..?
You ever work at Walmart? Nobody actively monitors the cameras and the cabinets all use a T-shaped barrel key. Usually only a single employee carries the keys and with the time constraints set by OGP (the team that fills pickup and delivery orders), nobody wants to waste time looking for that person.
Having worked in a closely related industry, fast food, none of this is surprising.
When I worked FF I definitely told people the Ice Cream/Shake machine was broken/off/down for cleaning all the time when it was busy because I couldn't be bothered to deal with it (it's annoying AF to make shakes and it ALWAYS broke your workflow when you were getting to a good speed)
I've also told people we were out of something just because it required me to go to the back because we ran out of what was stocked in front
So yea, if I worked retail and I had to find someone with a key to fulfill a pickup order and I had the ability to simply mark it as out of stock...yea I think you know what action I'd take.
That's what happens when they pay you the bare minimum. Minimum pay, minimum effort.
That is what you call a shit worker. I've worked retail and service and was did go in the back when I said I would. I would go dig for the stupid $2 item because customer satisfaction.
I think you could get an additional charge for having "lockpicking" tools in some states, so instead of a minor shoplifting charge, it could get enhanced to a felony.