CVS Shopper Shocked by ‘Nightmare’ in Liquor Aisle as Anti-Theft Measures Hit ‘New Low’

SHOPPERS are fed up with anti-theft measures that block easy access to items customers used to grab and buy straight away.

For months, rampant theft has forced big retailers to get creative in protecting their products, customers and employees.

4

4

4

Companies like Walmart, Target and CVS have defended these measures as a way to curb store theft.

However, consumers have criticized new anti-theft policies, often saying they make the shopping experience worse.

Several shoppers recently turned to X to express their frustrations over a highly controversial policy: locking products on shelves or in boxes.

A shopper shared an image of popular energy drinks stocked in a refrigerated case at CVS.

Although the image appears normal at first glance, an external lock can be seen wrapped around the cashier’s door handles, preventing any customer from opening the cashier themselves.

Instead, shoppers are now forced to ask for help from an employee who can unlock the box with an external key.

“An introvert’s nightmare”, the buyer he wrote.

“All drinks locked away – from water to alcohol, at CVS.”

This anti-theft measure has been found in a variety of products.

Another shopper shared on X that they found similar locks on boxes and shelves containing frozen foods at CVS.

“They locked the frozen food at CVS,” the shopper said he wrote.

“What phase of capitalism is this?”

A third shopper responded to the post, criticizing the company for locking up items used every day by consumers, like the Uncrustables lunch box snack.

“Locking up uncrustable products is a new minimum,” said the buyer.

Locking up products in stores has become increasingly common as levels of shoplifting have increased over the last year.

WSL Strategic Retail found In November 2023, about 70% of customers in the US said they found items they wanted to buy locked on a shelf.

Of those buyers, about 22% said they would not wait for assistance to access the item.

This was due to a number of reasons, including buyers not having enough time, being unable to find assistance or being too angry about the anti-theft measure.

Shoppers have expressed similar concerns about other anti-theft policies that they claim harm the shopping experience by increasing the time it takes to leave the store.

These policies often include checking customers’ receipts or bags after using a self-service machine.

Despite criticism, retailers like CVS have defended the use of these crime-fighting policies.

CVS previously told The US Sun that one of the company’s top priorities is keeping products in stock and available to customers.

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

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