Based on my morals I stand by the word choice. I agree that not everybody will agree that it is stealing, and it is certainly not against the lost but yes I believe that it is stealing from the company.
Here's why, the way I see it when a company hires an employee they are, as much as anything else, buying that person's time. When you think of it like this while the employee is on the clock the company owns their time. Stealing is to take something without the owners consent. The store owner consent to you using the employee's time, that is effectively the employer's time, with understanding that you are wanting to buy something at the risk of you changing your mind. This is the unspoken agreement. When you use the employee's time without any intention of buying something you are doing so outside of this unspoken agreement and that requires a different consent. If you walk in and say that you do not intend to buy something then the owner can decide whether to consent to your taking the employee's time, or then can decline.
tl;dr Stealing is taking without consent. When you talk to an employee you are taking them away from the company. Consent under false pretenses ins't consent.
Here's why, the way I see it when a company hires an employee they are, as much as anything else, buying that person's time. When you think of it like this while the employee is on the clock the company owns their time. Stealing is to take something without the owners consent. The store owner consent to you using the employee's time, that is effectively the employer's time, with understanding that you are wanting to buy something at the risk of you changing your mind. This is the unspoken agreement. When you use the employee's time without any intention of buying something you are doing so outside of this unspoken agreement and that requires a different consent. If you walk in and say that you do not intend to buy something then the owner can decide whether to consent to your taking the employee's time, or then can decline.
tl;dr Stealing is taking without consent. When you talk to an employee you are taking them away from the company. Consent under false pretenses ins't consent.