Sounds like there was a internal he was after.
There's actually no law requiring Target to do anything. But it does bear repeating. Every single register in every Target store (even the Photo Lab, and Portrait Studio) will have a working camera mounted over it. The Registers are also tied into the AP Computers, allowing them to pull a live shot of your register screen, at any moment.
Stealing Drinks is a bad idea. You might get away with it for a little bit, but it'll put a huge target on your back for Asset Protection.