OTOH there are four critera for a legal stop -- they need to see you enter without the merchandise, select it from the shelf, conceal it, then walk past the point of sale AND all merchandise. And you have to have an unobstructed view of the person, because if they discard the item you stop them for, you're in for a world of (legal) hurt.
Also many stores have shot themselves in the foot by placing items for sale outside the front doors... thus a shoplifter could claim they just stuck something in their pocket because they forgot they needed a pumpkin and thus needed a cart, or something to that effect.
If you stop someone and can't document these four points, they can challenge the stop, and you're up for a LOT more losses from the unlawful detainment suit.
So basically, they value upselling people at entrances more than limiting liability, and a savvy shoplifter can sue for a lot of money if the store allows reusable bags, since that removes the ability to charge for "concealment" given that by selling Safeway or whatever branded opaque bags, you have implicitly consented to "concealment" of merchandise.
Depends on the state.
AZ:
>C. A merchant, or a merchant's agent or employee, with reasonable cause, may detain on the premises in a reasonable manner and for a reasonable time any person who is suspected of shoplifting as prescribed in subsection A of this section for questioning or summoning a law enforcement officer.
https://www.azleg.gov/ars/13/01805.htm
i.e. all they need is reasonable cause to suspect you are shoplifting. When I was detained no one ever saw me steal anything, I openly grabbed the cat litter, scanned it at the machine, paid for it, grabbed the receipt, then refused to show it to the receipt-checker (not about to slow down for that bullshit since it is now my property) so they just sent some dudes out to grab the cart out of my hands.
But if you challenged the qualifier of reasonable cause here you surely would win.
The store here almost certainly overstepped the law, and you allowed it to happen.
I "allowed it to happen" because I'm not about to gamble a decade+ in prison pulling out a knife or gun to be able to physically match the power of a gigantic bouncer on the hope the detainment is found unlawful, all over $5 in cat litter.
Unless by "let it happen" you mean I didn't let it happen then sue walmart, which would have zero deterrence effect on them as any lawsuit for a few minutes unlawful detention would be a rounding error on their balance sheet, and likely at my own expense since it's basically my word against another's and his army of corporate lawyers.
Uh not, it isn't "your word against theirs" -- a competent attorney will put a litigation hold on the CCTV footage, and they'll do it on contingency.
Makes me wonder if maybe you're being accurate, since you'll telling an unusual story and inventing reasons not to seek redress.
Also it'd be a criminal matter, not just a civil one -- having their LP have to get bailed out of the county jail sends a message.