LOCKED UP
‘I’m so done’ cries Target shopper after discovering cheap essential is being held by security in bid to tackle thieves
New anti-shoplifting measures are ruining Americans' shopping experience
A TARGET customer has hit out at the retailer for locking up its milk.
Blocking easy access to everyday essentials is leading some shoppers to boycott stores, a survey has found.
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The Target shopper complained yesterday about the giant retailer on X/formerly Twitter.
“I’m in a Target and they locked up the milk,” she explained.
“The fridges are literally padlocked, with an employee help button on them.
“I’m so done.”
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The U.S. Sun has contacted Target to comment on its locked-up milk.
However, as has been widely reported, the firm's anti-theft precautions - including locking away items - are part of an effort to curb rampant shoplifting.
THEFT WOES
Target's boss said the projected loss from retail shrink - including damaged and returned items, plus theft - was predicted to be $500 million more last year than in 2022, reported The New York Times.
This prompted the retailers' leaders to axe nine Target outlets across the US, as they cited fears for shoppers' and staff safety.
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“We cannot continue operating these stores because theft and organized retail crime are threatening the safety of our team and guests, and contributing to unsustainable business performance,” Target said in a press release in September.
"Many more items are now kept behind lock and key at stores, including candy, diapers, nuts, sponges, and even ice cream," noted Delish last December.
It described CVS and Target as "looking more dystopian than usual."
"Customers can ring a bell to signal to an employee to open up the cabinet so they can grab their tampons, deodorant, or gum," the recipe-laden website added.
Key Insights: Locked Up Items
In November 2023, WSL Strategic Retail surveyed shoppers about the use of theft-proof cabinets for its How America Shops report.
Here are its key findings:
- 70% of shoppers had faced locked-up goods when hoping to purchase an item.
- 78% of these shoppers said they got help from an employee and waited to buy a product though this number dropped for customers under the age of 26.
- 12% of shoppers said they refused to buy the product and many went online or to another store instead.
- Meanwhile, 10% said they bought a similar product that was readily available in the same store. Again, among Gen Z customers there was a difference with 19% of them saying they did this.
Why did 22% of customers not wait for assistance?
- The majority wanted to avoid the additional hassle.
- Many were unable to find a store associate and those that did said the employee had trouble opening the cabinet.
- One-third were angry about the fact the products were locked up
- One quarter said they did not have the time to wait for assistance.
Source: WSL Strategic Retail
MEAT #1 THEFT ITEM
According to Finance Buzz, meat is the most popular item shoppers steal from grocery stores in America.
Published last month, it said that second on its "five-fingered discount" list is makeup, followed by booze, baby formula, chocolate, seafood, medicine, skincare items, family planning products, with cheese in 10th place.
Batteries are also a prime target for theft, along with razor blades, it added.
"Grocery stores try to strike a balance between providing shoppers with access to goods and preventing theft," it said.
PRICEY FORMULA
Stores have been locking away baby formula as prices for the powder start to skyrocket.
Over the last two years, the average price of baby formula has gone up 30%, according to Statistics Canada, reported by CBC.
"It's absolutely disgusting that we've reached a point where people have to resort to stealing to feed their child," Alyssa Cassidy told CBC News.
'Honor system didn't work,' groan Target shoppers after store suddenly removes all self-checkout without explanation
More customers are complaining that locking up items leads to longer wait times and unpleasant shopping experiences.
"I’ve all but stopped shopping there because of everything being locked up in cases," a former shopper wrote on X.
And one customer expressed his dismay at having to repeatedly summon Target staff to unlock products barricaded behind glass cabinets.
"I’m in Las Vegas and I went to Target to get a few small items like water," he wrote on Facebook.
"They’ve locked many of the shelves to prevent shoplifting.
"So what was this item that was locked up tighter than Fort Knox? $75 case of cigarettes?
"No. $30 box of laundry soap? No.
"It was a $2.19 saline nasal spray, aka salt water."
POLL
One thousand Americans were recently polled on their shopping habits in an exclusive survey commissioned by The U.S. Sun.
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Nearly half of Americans (48%) believe that self-checkout at grocery stores is a good addition.
And about 19% of respondents said they never had issues getting items that were locked up.