A WALMART customer vented his anger because he was unable to purchase essential items due to anti-theft regulations.
Walmart is one of the major retailers that has decided to enclose its products behind plexiglass to protect them from theft.
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A shopper shared his story on X after he had to ask an employee to unlock socks for him in order to purchase them.
“So, I had heard about it and seen what I thought were photoshopped images of it, but I actually saw it with my own eyes today… SOCKS locked in glass cases at @Walmart,” they wrote.
“Brick-and-mortar retailers are so afraid of losing business to sellers like @amazon, but still treat their customers like criminals!
“DO BETTER @Walmart. #notcriminal #socksshouldn’tbelocked up #freethemerch.”
CLOSE THE SOCKS FREE
The Walmart shopper is not the only one who is confronted with plexiglass when purchasing socks at Walmart.
Another customer recently shared a similar experience on social media, writing, “Walmart has all its socks locked away. I went somewhere else to buy socks.”
“I can’t be the only one leaving stores because I don’t want to wait for an item to become available for purchase…”
Other retailers are also taking tough measures against theft by locking away their goods.
Customers often have to press a button and wait for an employee to help them in the hallway.
Target and CVS have also implemented this policy due to negative customer reactions.
“@Target used to be my favorite place. Now it’s horrible,” one customer said on social media after shopping at the store.
“Half the store is locked, there aren’t enough employees to open it when you need something, and the price is twice as high as it was before.”
“Almost everything I used to buy there, I now buy from Amazon.”
Another customer at CVS echoed similar sentiments while expressing sympathy for the employees.
“Standing in line at CVS, working here is officially the shittiest job in America,” the customer shared on social media.
“Every 30 seconds the intercom announces that a customer ‘needs help’ because they have locked away an item valued at over $10 like it was gold. Pathetic,” they added.
“It’s crazy how many buttons you have to push to get shit these days,” agreed another customer.
US stores lock shelves to prevent theft
To counteract the increasing amount of theft, retailers have started locking their shelves.
- Walmart
- Goal
- Walgreens
- CV
- Duane Reade
- Rite Aid
- Dollar Tree
- The Home Depot
- Sephora
Method to madness
Although increasing anti-theft measures can be annoying for customers, retailers argue that they are necessary to combat theft.
Shoplifting has increased in major cities. New York saw a 64% increase in incidents, and Los Angeles saw a 61% increase in shoplifting between January 2019 and June 2023, according to the Brennan Center.
Despite the increase in major cities, retail crime is declining, according to the study, suggesting that anti-theft measures are preventing shoplifting.
