‘It’s disgusting,’ shouts Duane Reade shopper as stores are ‘forced’ to put everyday items under lock and key – even toothpaste

FURIOUS Duane Reade shoppers have called the decision to lock away everyday essentials ‘disgusting’ as retailers struggle to control crime.

Shoppers have rallied against anti-theft measures such as plexiglass walls and receipt checks as the chain tries to crack down on criminal behavior.

Recently, a Duane Reade customer shared her complaint on social media after trying to pick up an everyday item from the pharmacy chain’s toiletries section.

“It’s disgusting how drug stores like Duane Reade are forced to put virtually all of their HBA items behind locked barriers, because if they don’t, shitty thieves will blindly steal them,” they boiled on X, formerly Twitter.

“I can’t even buy a tube of toothpaste without calling an employee to unlock the box.”

Another shopper shared with The US Sun the bag of pistachios he saw behind a theft locker at Duane Reade in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Wonderful brand nuts, which originally cost $11.49, were on sale for less than $6 per bag.

Customers continued to criticize retailers for their locked shelves, going so far as to not purchase the item because it was behind glass.

A shopper was trying to buy multivitamins and melatonin when she found them locked on the shelves.

“They are even stealing multivitamins and melatonin,” said social media influencer Emely Hernandez (@purplereign77) said in a TikTok video.

“I don’t even want to take it anymore because it’s locked.”

THE REASON FOR GLASS

This comes as retail rival Walmart continues to face several major theft issues in recent years, as President and CEO Doug McMillon described an “all-time high” in the number of retail thefts for the company.

The company reported losses of $6.5 billion last year due to “shrinkage” – which is the loss of products due to theft.

The mega-company has made several policy changes to combat the problem, including locking items behind anti-theft glass to prevent thieves from taking them off shelves.

However, customers have been shocked to see items locked behind glass and often share their complaints about the policy online.

Some shoppers have even threatened to leave Walmart for Target due to their frustration with anti-theft measures.

Another social media user claiming to be a former Walmart employee recently said he tried “stupid” anti-theft measures related to glass cabinets and mentioned another possible solution.

“It’s absolutely ridiculous how a multi-billion dollar company doesn’t hire a security/surveillance team but locks things that shouldn’t be locked in the first place,” they said. he wrote.

The anti-theft measures come as Walmart’s CEO announced last year that retail industry downturns — including shoplifting — were taking a toll on the company.

“We believe that in some jurisdictions here in the U.S., there is a need to take steps to help protect people from crime, including theft,” Walmart CEO Doug McMillon told analysts during an August 2023 earnings call.

The company’s chief financial officer, John David Rainey, said during the same conference call that the reduction increased in 2022 and 2023, but noted that not even nationwide.

“Some markets are higher than others,” he said by Market observation.

“We will continue to watch,” he continued.

“We don’t want it to go up, obviously, because it could cause prices to go up, and we hear that across the market, but it’s part of what we’re managing.”