There is no maybe about it. These thefts are well-known and spur the defensive measures you're talking about. It goes beyond just locking things up. There are AI systems tracking your movement through the store, and they can even immobilize your shopping cart on the way out if they think you didn't pay. Some tools also have RFID based activation schemes, without which they can't be used.
It is the job of the police to investigate thefts. Therefore it kind of makes sense why they might want to put up cameras in high crime areas. We just don't want the cameras to be abused. I don't want to be tracked and have the contents of my house itemized by systems like this. Is there a less intrusive way to prevent crime, perhaps by posting a security guard? I think so. But what does it cost, and would you rather pay for that or deal with the camera?