Why would people steal large amounts of body wash and soap?

B O

Using it, and selling the rest?
How are they taking a $100 worth of body wash?

They put it in a backpack or grocery bag. Some times in their pants!

Probably use it to stay clean.
No access to a regular bath tub or shower. Or maybe they want to steal up to a certain amount for longer jail time. At least in jail they are out of the weather, and get hots and a cot.

I’m assuming they sell some of it. I just found it surprising to be one of the more popular items that’s stolen.

The top five are liquor, body wash, food from the hot bar, phone chargers and Brillo pads.

Might drink the shit too. Possibly has alcohol of some sort in it.

To clean themselves and their neighbors.

Not sure, but I assume they made a clean getaway.

It surprised me too but the reason is it is easy to sell on the streets. Everyone uses soap or bodywash. source

How about that. Some people (who are awful) stereotype the poor and homeless as unclean and that they don’t care about hygiene, but come to find out they do care about being clean, even stealing soap or buying it on the black market.

I once saw some report about an organization that provides portable showers for the homeless. I thought that was a great idea short of providing real shelter with hot and cold running water.

We need to do better as a country.

^Did I miss something in the moderated comments?

@Jonsblond Not regarding my answer. I was talking generally, not jellies specifically.

Sell it on ebay. I stopped ebay shopping long ago.

Probably to sell some and also maybe they use it as detergent for their clothes as well. I mean body wash can be used on hair and body, so why not clothes. I always hand wash my underwear because they last longer that way but sometimes I forget to make sure I have detergent in my bathroom and so I use body wash. It cleans just as well and I actually don’t like the way it feels like it leaves a film on my skin so I at least get to use it for something else. So when they get to shower they probably wash their undergarments as well.

The main markets for humble shoplifted and stolen goods are in low-income, urban areas where inhabitants shop primarily at corner stores and street vendors and where buying stolen goods is common.