A WALMART shopper has slammed the retailer after coming face to face with the store’s anti-theft policy.
A customer was shocked after seeing everything they wanted locked away at Walmart.
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“Everything at my Walmart is f*****g locked up!” a person wrote on X.
The shopper took to social media and posted a photo of beauty and skincare items stored away behind plexiglass.
“I hadn’t been there in a while and I could not believe what I was seeing lol,” she added.
Walmart and other retailers have employed locking their items away in order to combat rampant theft in stores.
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At first, locking items away was mainly applied to high-value items.
However, shoppers have complained that this new policy has made it harder to buy everyday items like soaps, detergents, toiletries, and much more.
One woman revealed that they found a whole section was locked away after visiting Walmart.
“Literally the entire beauty section at the Walmart I just went to was locked up,” they wrote in a tweet on X.
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“You cannot even buy mascara without trying to hunt down a worker first.
“They need to have [people] assigned to stay in or near the area if they’re going to do this.
“Otherwise might as well remove entirely.”
While the anti-theft measure is meant to deter thieves, it also turns off customers from shopping at the store.
It was revealed that 20% of shoppers will refuse to buy items that are locked away, according to a study from Advantage Solutions.
Those who participated claimed that the items they wanted were often not worth the wait time.
Anti-theft measures rolled out by retailers
Retailers across the US and Canada have rolled out strategies designed to combat theft. The U.S. Sun has compiled a list of measures that have been implemented at stores.
- Locking items in cabinets.
- Security pegs.
- Security cameras.
- Signs warning about the impact of theft.
- Receipt scanners.
- Receipt checks.
- Carts with locking technology
The study also noticed that 15% of customers won’t purchase locked-up health products while 13% of shoppers won’t buy locked-up electronics.
If a customer left the store without getting what they wanted, many of them would look for online alternatives, like Amazon.
Despite the recent findings, retail experts believe the anti-theft measure is a necessary evil for places like Walmart.
“No retailer wants to lock up product,” Jason Brewer, executive vice president of the Retail Industry Leaders Association, told NPR affiliate KQED.
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“It’s a last resort. But it’s only done when it’s impossible to keep a specific product on the shelf.”
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Walmart for comment.
https://www.the-sun.com/news/11896900/walmart-anti-theft-locked-up-items/