‘Makes me not want to go to that store,’ angers shopper over locked items, while CVS exec admits it’s a ‘last resort’

SHOPPERS are furious that “latest report” anti-theft measures have been taken too far as stores like CVS continue to lock up products.

Shoppers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, are reaching their limit with brick-and-mortar stores and opting for online marketplaces after facing rampant anti-theft measures.

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Retailers use a variety of methods to reduce shoplifting, from security tags to cameras and even AI-controlled sensors.

These customers complain about one security measure in particular: blocking high-demand items.

It has long been common for expensive items, such as electronics and expensive makeup products, to be kept in a locked box for an employee to retrieve and arrange a purchase.

More recently, as retailers continue to report worrying amounts of theft, locked items have become cheaper.

CVS spokeswoman Amy Thibault explained that the company implements these anti-theft measures on a store-by-store basis.

“Different products have different theft rates depending on store location and other factors, and our product protection decisions are data-driven,” said Thibault.

He further explained that the method of locking products is the last one to be used.

“We use a variety of different measures to deter or prevent theft and blocking a product is a measure of last resort.”

While customers recognize the need for anti-theft measures, many are increasingly tired of the confinement method being used so liberally.

Andrew Lax, a Philadelphia resident who frequents area retailers, is one of those customers who is fed up with anti-theft tactics interfering with his purchases.

“I recognize that there is a reason why these things were put in place, but it just makes me not want to frequent that store,” he told the Telegraph Herald.

Lax appreciates the ability to browse the aisles and inspect products before deciding to buy them.

Since locking up products eliminates this ability, he started shopping at home.

“If I’m going to miss out on this experience anyway, I’m just going to shop online,” he said.

Peter Fader, a marketing professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, explained that many consumers have similar feelings to Lax.

“You just don’t want your shopping trip to have that kind of friction,” Fader said.

According to the academic, in-person retailers are already fighting online markets and these extreme anti-theft measures are only “making things more difficult for themselves”.

Taryn McNabb, another Philadelphia resident, has also switched to online options.

“We do Amazon, but for things like toothpaste and shampoo and things that are locked away, the things I need, I like to do it in person,” she said.

Her ideal would be to buy everything in person, as she says: “If you’re going to buy shampoo or something, half the time it’s leaking.”