Locked bottles of dish soap and water at retailers like CVS and Walmart aren’t just a nuisance for customers who do their own shopping: They’re also hindering delivery by services like Instacart.
Unlike regular customers, delivery workers who pick up orders from stores usually have to shop and deliver their orders on time. This means they often don’t take orders from stores that are notorious for locking away lots of items.
An Ohio-based customer who delivered for Walmart’s Spark delivery service until earlier this year recalled once having to wait 10 minutes for an employee to unlock a container of baby formula. He and other employees interviewed by Business Insider declined to remain anonymous for this story because of possible retaliation from the delivery services. BI has verified their identities and work histories.
In most states, gig delivery workers are paid for each order they deliver, and many also rely on tips from customers to get quick service, so waiting around at a store can be costly, the Ohio worker said.
“Drivers earn money per job, not per hour, so every second counts for us,” the driver added.
Retailers have increased the number of locked products they sell in recent years as they grapple with ongoing problems with shoplifting, but this strategy also deters some consumers who look for their products elsewhere, including online retailers like Amazon.
The Ohio-based official said placing more lockable items in the front of the store, such as behind checkout kiosks, could be one way retailers can improve the system.
“This way, there is always someone there to open the suitcase and make sure the product is actually purchased,” he said.
A Nevada-based Instacart shopper recently told BI that she refuses to accept orders at a particular Walgreens store near her because the orders often contain multiple sealed items.
Spokespeople for Walgreens and CVS previously told BI that the chains had begun locking up products in certain stores due to shoplifting trends. Representatives for the two stores did not immediately return a call seeking comment for this story.
It’s difficult to completely avoid locked-away merchandise, and some employees have to improvise. A Spark shopper in Idaho reported finding a beauty product that a customer had ordered from Walmart.
The shopper told BI that he pressed a button on the shelf to ask an employee for help, but after several minutes no one came.
“I finally ripped open the box of the package and took it off the hook” it was attached to, the shopper said. The order they were shopping for contained perishable food, and they were worried that Walmart would cancel the order – and their pay – if they took too long.
“I really didn’t want to wait forever for someone to finally come and open the thing,” said the Spark buyer.
An Instacart spokesperson said customers can message their customers through the app to let them know if there are delays in their order. Customers will not receive a reduction in their base pay if an order takes longer than expected, the spokesperson said.
Walmart declined to comment to BI.
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