SHOPPERS are fed up of seeing shelves of low-priced goods locked away at Walmart – and fear the worst could be yet to come.
As major retailers like Walmart and Target blame shoplifting for costing their companies hundreds of millions of dollars annually, more and more anti-theft measures are appearing in stores across the country.
From the proliferation of receipt verification to increased surveillance technology, shoppers have faced a host of new security requirements for collecting even the simplest items.
And some customers are tired of it.
A shopper recently complained about seeing basic men’s products under lock and key at his local Walmart.
“What is this world coming to?” Toto ROSANA (@PeachyKeenz1958) asked sarcastically in a tweet on Monday.
“Fruit of the Looms locked at Walmart. Now, I found men’s belts under lock and key,” he said.
“What is it nextpay for bathrooms again!!!” they asked themselves.
MANY UNHAPPY BUYERS
Several other buyers have made similar complaints in the past.
Another client named Alexander Carrillo (@godsmackfan459) shared photos of Walmart aisles filled with locked merchandise last month.
“Man, they locked up the pens here at my Walmart,” he wrote alongside a photo of Bic pens behind glass.
More customers echoed their frustrations.
“Even the razors and shaving cream are locked up too… who’s going to steal pens and shaving cream,” one person responded.
“Oh my God, Walmart locked the energy drinks”, Riana (@coffeeinamug) he said.
“Where has the world come???”
RETAIL THEFT ON THE INCREASE?
Several retail leaders have recently stated that shoplifting has increased in recent years, especially organized theft.
However, most companies do not publish clear crime data—they classify shoplifting as a form of “shrinkage,” or loss of products due to theft, damage, and other forms of loss.
O National Retail Federation estimated in 2022 that shrinking retail costs stores about $100 billion a year.
US stores locking shelves to combat theft
Retailers have begun locking shelves to combat the rise in theft.
- Wal-Mart
- Target
- Walgreens
- CVS
- Duane Reade
- Help ritual
- Dollar Tree
- The home deposit
- Sephora
But less than a year later, the organization withdrew the study citing the use of erroneous data that led to a gross exaggeration of the theft’s impact on retail profits.
The initial flawed report “led to a hugely inflated number that was circulating in the press,” Trevor Wagener, researcher and chief economist at the Computer & Communications Industry Association, told the Canadian national broadcaster. complete blood count.
It’s nearly impossible to determine the cost of retail crime, Wagener said.
“Generally, you won’t have evidence that a retailer reviews your security footage,” he said.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story