Things are getting a little too real at the New York City CVS. The Big Apple is currently experiencing a never-before wave of shoplifting and retail theft, but while desperate times may call for desperate measures, one TikToker thinks store security is getting too out of hand.
Veteran New York shopper Anastasia (@nastyaswan) is starting to be over anti-theft measures at her local drug store. While CVS might be reducing the risk of items “walking out” of their stores, having to press a call button to put a bottle of body wash in her cart is just frustrating.
Anastasia, who has over 270,000 followers, expressed her opinions about the new retail reality in a TikTok posted Tuesday, and it has garnered nearly half a million views and counting.
“I swear the most embarrassing thing about New York is that every time you go to CVS, and you want to get a product, you have to call a button that calls the person to give you the product,” she tells her viewers as she pans her camera over rows of beauty products fitted with security devices that prevent their removal from the racks.
@nastyaswan can you feel me NYC? #nyclife #nyc #relateable ♬ original sound – anastasia
Retail theft is on the rise across the country particularly in nationwide chains such as CVS, according to retail associations such as the National Retail Federation. According to the Marshall Project, “Online marketplaces such as Amazon and Facebook Marketplace have enlarged the market for stolen goods.”
However, many chains may be sacrificing customer satisfaction for security, as Anastasia points out in her video. It ends with her staring at the camera as the entire store is loudly informed that she needs a bottle of body wash. The on-screen text reads: “Can’t do this anymore.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Anastasia via TikTok for comment.
Many of Anastasia’s viewers expressed sympathy in the comments. TikToker @andjustlikematt wrote, “this drives me crazy let me SHOP.”
Another commented, “I can’t do it anymore. I shop at small local pharmacies and local beauty supply shops.”
Shoppers said they abandoned “brick and mortar” stores altogether, preferring to shop online.
“I can’t be bothered with ts. I just order it on amazon,” mayo (@deadmnz) wrote.
“That’s why I use Amazon or Target deliver for everything now,” another viewer added.
Others just expressed frustration about how a quick trip to the drug store has become a time-wasting ordeal.
“And they take FOREVERRRR to come,” wrote Jenna Flaherty (@jennaflahertyy).
“It’s like this so many places now!! No more quick errands,” another commented.
“I literally walk out . I get soo mad,” added another viewer.
Given the current frustrations, it may come down to whether stores are more willing to lose customers than they are products. The Daily Dot has reached out via email to CVS for a statement.
