SHOPPERS are raging over “last report” anti-theft measures taken too far as stores like CVS continue to lock up products.
Philadelphia, Pennslyvania customers are reaching their limit with physical storefronts and opting for online marketplaces after contending with rampant anti-theft measures.
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Retailers use a variety of methods to reduce shoplifting, ranging from security tags to cameras and even AI-run sensors.
These customers are griping about one security measure in particular, the locking up of high-demand items.
It has long been common that high-ticket products, like electronics and expensive makeup products, be kept behind a locked case for an employee to retrieve and set up a purchase.
More recently, as retailers continue to report unsettling amounts of theft, items being locked up have become cheaper.
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CVS spokesperson Amy Thibault explained that the company implements these anti-theft measures on a store-by-store basis.
“Different products experience different theft rates, depending on store location and other factors, and our product protection decisions are data-driven,” said Thibault.
He went on to explain that the method of locking up products is the last to be used.
“We utilize a variety of different measures to deter or prevent theft and locking a product is a measure of last resort.”
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While customers can recognize the need for anti-theft measures, many are growing tired of the locking-up method being used so liberally.
Andrew Lax, a Philadelphia resident who has been frequenting retailers in the area is one of those customers who is fed up with anti-theft tactics interfering with his shopping.
“I recognize there is a reason why those things have been put in place, but it just makes me not want to patronize that store,” he told the Telegraph Herald.
Lax appreciates the ability to browse aisles and inspect products before deciding to purchase them.
Since locking up products takes that ability away, he has switched over to shopping from home.
“If I’m going to lose that experience anyway, I’m just going to shop online,” he said.
Peter Fader, a marketing professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School explained that many consumers are feeling similarly to Lax.
“You just don’t want the shopping trip to have that kind of friction,” Fader said.
According to the scholar, in-person retailers are already fighting against online markets and these extreme anti-theft measures are only “making it harder for themselves.”
Taryn McNabb, another Philadelphia resident has also switched over to online options.
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“We do Amazon but for things like toothpaste and shampoo and the stuff that is locked up, the stuff that I need, I like to do in person,” she said.
Her ideal would be to shop for everything in person since she says, “If you’re getting shampoo or something, half the time it’s leaking.”
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