TARGET and Walmart’s controversial anti-theft measures have come under more scrutiny, with customers claiming it is “alienating” them from their shopping experience.
For many shoppers, going into their favorite stores and seeing most of the items they want locked up behind glass or bars is now an everyday occurrence.
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The process has crept into many US stores such as Walmart and Target over recent years, in the face of soaring cases of organized shoplifting.
As well as locked cabinets or shelves, companies have turned to other desperate measures such as gated exits and checkout lanes and even limited operating hours.
But poll after poll reveals that the measures may be turning off many customers, to the detriment of stores’ bottom lines.
One startling survey found that 71 percent of shoppers said theft prevention measures made them less likely to shop at a particular store.
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The recent survey from the Harris Poll on behalf of cloud-based security company Veradka was shared by the trade publication Fast Company.
It also revealed some startling differences between the generations.
Gen Z was the group most likely to avoid shopping at stores employing anti-theft measures, with 89 percent of respondents answering affirmatively.
More than three-quarters of millennials, or 77 percent of respondents, said they were less likely to shop at stores with such measures in place.
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That number dropped to 68 percent for Gen X and 58 percent for baby boomers, the oldest group included in the survey.
However, the poll also revealed some other factors which are crucial to how customers’ shopping experience is affected.
Customer safety is something many shoppers see as being neglected, with more than half of US consumers believing that retailers neglect it in favor of protecting their merchandise.
In addition, more than two-thirds of those surveyed said that frontline retail workers are unable to handle criminal behavior such as violent threats or theft.
A stunning 81 percent of respondents expressed concern about their personal safety while shopping.
This comes as data from the National Retail Federation finds that most retailers say shoplifters are more violent than in previous years.
Help may be at hand for those customers who find one particular anti-theft measure especially annoying.
David Ashforth, the co-founder of Digital Media Vending International, is creating digital shelves to help improve the experience for customers in stores while slashing the number of store thefts.
The company is known for its vending machine models and decided to use them to help combat theft.
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Known as an “automated retailer,” these vending machines will replace an entire aisle of merchandise.
With this new device, items will be locked away safely without inconveniencing the customer.
https://www.the-sun.com/news/9640433/walmart-target-anti-theft-shoplifting-crime/