Are quick errands a thing of the past? Retail stores putting items behind lock and key has been a point of contention for consumers as of late.
Shoppers used to be able to quickly run into a store for just one or two items that they need day-of. But retail giant Walmart has been accused of making its products less accessible to the average shopper.
How it’s supposed to work vs. how it’s going
Usually when an item is behind security glass, a customer has to push a help button. The help button should summon a worker to unlock the item so that the customer can purchase it. But customers have spotlighted some faults with this system. For example, one customer said she waited for nearly an hour for a worker’s help. In addition to the long wait times, customers have also complained about inconsistent locked-up items and workers unlocking items just to put them in smaller security cases. Walmart delivery customers have even received items that are still in their security boxes.
Locking up items is one of Walmart’s theft prevention measures. However, locking up items can have a negative impact on the stores themselves, like leading to a drop in sales, according to Axios. We have seen shoppers get fed up with waiting and prematurely leaving the store without making a purchase.
Text for help? Huh, that’s new
That isn’t stopping Walmart from rolling these measures out, however. According to popular TikTok @thedirtythirties, Walmart added a text for help feature at at least one of its locations.
The TikToker simply needed some pimple patches. “I walk in here because I clearly have a pimple on my face,” she says, gesturing to her cheek.
She was in for a shock when she entered the beauty aisle. “Everything is locked up,” she says as she pans across the security glass with all the beauty products behind it.
A sign on the glass asks, “Need assistance?” It’s followed by a number to text for help.
“And I have to text someone to get help?” @thedirtythirties asks.
@thedirtythirties further expressed her annoyance in the caption, writing, “Wally World is wild for this.”
Her video has received over 131,000 views.
@thedirtythirties Wally World is wild for this #walmart #wtf #annoying ♬ original sound – The Dirty Thirties
Viewers weigh in
Walmart customers who saw @thedirtythirties’s video shared that locked-up items have deterred them from shopping in-store—and at that store. “I just do a pick up order for all the stuff I need that’s locked up. I’m not waiting on anyone to come ‘help’ me. I just wait for the order to be ready in the comfort of my home,” one said.
“Walmart had my makeup remover locked so I literally went down the road to Target and got it there because it wasn’t locked there,” another shared.
“They locked up the curling irons. when I asked an employee, he said they had the key in electronics and I would have to go get it. I just went home and ordered one from Amazon,” a third wrote.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
