Drastic new anti-theft measure to combat shoplifting scourge in US enrages shoppers who slam it as the ‘worst idea ever’

SHOPPERS are shocked to learn that some stores may soon resort to selling their products out of massive vending machines to combat theft.

More and more people have taken to social media recently to complain about the wide array of anti-theft measures being put into place by stores across the country.

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One of the most hotly debated methods for stores to reduce shoplifting is by placing commonly stolen goods behind lock and key, requiring an employee to buy them.

Many shoppers complain about having to track down an associate and then wait for them to retrieve their items.

One company has decided to take the strategy a step further by creating massive vending machine-like storage units that use robotic arms to take the items off locked shelves and hand them to the customer.

YouTube talk show host John Iadarola discussed the new contraption in a recent episode of The Damage Report (@TheDamageReport).

“That’s annoying a lot of people, so David Ashforth, founder of Digital Media Vending International has an idea for how to avoid that scenario,” Iadarola said in the video.

Viewers can see an illustration of what the robotic shopping experience would look like.

“Picture it as an entire aisle, like at a grocery store, where it’s all a big vending machine and robotic arms would give you the shampoo or the razors,” he said.

The big vending machines were first discussed on NBC and Business Insider earlier this month.

At least 44 different stores are seriously considering purchasing the machines, Ashforth told NBC.

Many of his customers are particularly interested in the option of using bullet-proof glass to stop smash-and-grab theft, he said.

Over a thousand people liked Jackson’s video about the controversial anti-theft method on YouTube and several users left comments.

“Worst f***ing idea ever — 15 seconds to get the product out of the machine may sound fast, but compared to just grabbing it from a shelf while you don’t even stop your shopping cart because you need a gazillion other things, is absolutely torture,” one shopper posted.

“Why not convert the entire store into a giant mechanized warehouse and make your order from outside, even from home, via an app on your smartphone? They are just half a step close to that already,” another added.

“An idea, but nothing new as the vending machine capital of the world is in Japan. They put everything imaginable in vending machines,” a third said.

https://www.the-sun.com/news/9713996/new-anti-theft-measure-combat-shoplifting-enrages-shoppers/