A SHOPPER has urged a grocery chain to be more like Costco after slamming its anti-theft measures.
Customers who visit Superstore outlets across Canada use shopping carts equipped with locking technology.
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Shoppers have been less than impressed when the buggies jolted before being subject to a receipt check.
The moment has left some feeling embarrassed, but others have pointed out the potential impact on fellow customers.
Jocelyn Daly, of Nova Scotia, revealed her cart abruptly stopped after buying dog food.
She said an alarm went off before she picked up the item and left her cart.
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“I think having a cart lock up suddenly is dangerous,” she posted on a local Facebook group.
“What if a toddler was standing up in a cart and all of a sudden the cart locks that toddler could get hurt?
“This is really a safety risk for anyone.
“And if there [sic] going to do that foolishness then it should be like Costco and have someone at the door.”
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The U.S. Sun has approached Loblaw – the owner of Real Canadian Superstore- for comment.
Another shopper told CTV News they felt embarrassed when their cart locked.
“I called the customer service and I explained my experience. Why would the gentleman ask for my receipt? He said, well, we’ve been having a lot of theft,” she told the outlet.
“And I said ‘I’m going to stop you right there. I have shopped here for many, many, many years. I’m 56 years old. I have never stolen a thing in my life.’”
Carts have a mechanism that is attached to a wheel.
The device then locks when shoppers push their buggy over a thin wire.
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
Rocateq is among the companies that have developed a locking device.
The wheel locks when shoppers try to push their buggy out of the parking lot.
Shoppers cannot beat the system by lifting their carts over the perimeter.
Costco staffers manually check shoppers’ receipts before they head out of the warehouses.
The wholesaler says the checks take place to ensure accuracy.
Costco bosses have claimed that the receipt check is the most effective method of ensuring goods have been processed correctly.
The chain says that inspections are carried out for the benefit of customers.
It wants to ensure subscribers have been charged properly.
The U.S. Sun has reported how receipt checks have sparked division.
The checks are common at wholesalers such as Costco but they have started to appear at some Walmart stores.
This is despite the retailer not having a specific policy surrounding receipt checks.
The concept of receipt checks has left some shoppers incandescent with rage.
Staffers have been accused of treating shoppers like criminals.
But others have opened up on how they bypass the inspections.
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Shoppers have told how they pretend to be on a call when they get to the worker standing by the door.
Customers have revealed what they say to greeters when they are asked to show the piece of paper.
https://www.the-sun.com/news/11175920/superstore-locking-carts-costco-retail-shopping/