The retail chain already marks up their prices to account for the overhead of lost/stolen/damaged goods (which there is a really nice word for, but not one I can place place right now.)
Bringing the merch back inside to pay for it, while a charming gesture, is fairly insignificant to the chain's bottom line. But probably very significant for the cashier, whose manager will probably catch wind, etc.
If the guilt becomes unbearable, donate the $ value of all the stuff you've accidently been given by the chain to a local charity and call it square. Presumably you could even make the donation in the name of the chain, although handling the paperwork to get them the tax writeoff might be over the top.
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