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A WALMART shopper has slammed the retailer and another customer said they would shop at a rival due to its use of a controversial anti-theft measure.
A buyer said they would ditch Walmart for Target to avoid certain items being locked up.
A shopper explained why she has ditched Walmart for Target (stock image)[/caption]
Two customers have complained about items being locked up in stores[/caption]
The shopper (@helenaddy) shared their frustrations following her recent in-store experiences, on an X, formerly Twitter, post.
They complained about the time it took for them to complete their shopping due to items being locked at their local store.
This anti-theft measure would see some stores decide to lock up certain goods in see-through plexiglass or cover a shelf or aisle with the material.
These doors and boxes are locked and customers must alert a member of staff and wait for them to come and unlock these doors.
Some retailers will also have the staff member bring the item to the front of the store rather than let the customer continue shopping with the retrieved item.
The shopper fumed about their experience with this on social media.
“Just spent 20 minutes waiting for someone to unlock the birth control cabinet at Walmart,” she wrote.
“Next they insisted that they had to walk me to the front and watch me pay.”
Her complaint drew a response from another Walmart shopper (@whispermavin) who posted a complaint about her in-store experience and said she would now boycott the store.
She said her shopping experience had especially changed since the pandemic with the increased use of plexiglass boxes and aisle covers.
This shopper complained about specific products that were locked up at a Walmart store she had visited.
“One Walmart I was at had diapers locked and toothbrushes!!” she said.
The ex-Walmart customer explained why she now shopped at a rival retailer instead.
“This is why I go to target now,” she said.
Anti-theft measures rolled out by retailers
Retailers across the US and Canada have rolled out strategies designed to combat theft. The U.S. Sun has compiled a list of measures that have been implemented at stores.
- Locking items in cabinets.
- Security pegs.
- Security cameras.
- Signs warning about the impact of theft.
- Receipt scanners.
- Receipt checks.
- Carts with locking technology
“So far nothing there is locked.”
LOCKDOWN
Although this shopper had turned to Target, the store has not been immune to criticism from other customers about its use of anti-theft measures, The U.S. Sun has previously reported.
Target has also used locked security doors and boxes to protect items at some locations.
A Target spokesperson, Amy Thibault, explained the company’s approach to anti-theft measures ranged at different spots.
“Different products experience different theft rates, depending on store location and other factors, and our product protection decisions are data-driven,” the spokesperson said.
They also explained the company has used several anti-theft measures but described why locking items was different from the others.
“We utilize a variety of different measures to deter or prevent theft and locking a product is a measure of last resort,” Thibault said.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Walmart for comment.
The shopper complained about seeing diapers and toothbrushes locked up at her local Walmart store[/caption]
