A Kohl’s customer noticed that the store had started locking up clothes, but also thought there was a glaring problem with the new security cable.
TikTok user Bobby Starnino (@bobbystarnino) was shopping at Kohl’s with his husband, when the two noticed something new about the store.
In a TikTok video that has 1.2 million views, Starnino films a rack of track pants and says, “We’re at Kohl’s and everything is all locked up.”
The customer points to an anti-shoplifting garment security cable that is wrapped around all of the pants.
Normally, Starnino would have to find a store worker to unlock the cable and hand him the item he wants. But, he and his husband notice simple a way to get around the security feature.
“John, help me, how do I take it off?” Starnino says. He is unable to hold back laughter as his husband unclips a pair of track pants from the hanger.
“Whoever thought of this deserves a raise,” the customer joking writes in the text overlay of the video.
The rise of anti-theft security measures
Since the pandemic, numerous retail stores have begun to lock up their merchandise in an attempt to curb shoplifting. Shops like Walmart, Rite Aid, and others now keep products locked behind glass, or with security cables. If customers need an item, a worker must unlock it for them.
However, while these security measures aim to curb theft, customers say that they are also deterring them from shopping. Numerous shoppers on TikTok have complained about how difficult it is to get the attention of workers, with many saying that have waited over an hour in stores. Others have also shared unusual ways they have attempted to get the attention of employees.
Viewers explain the reason for the security cable
Like Starnino and his husband, some viewers were confused by the purpose of the new security measure at Kohl’s.
One person said, “Someone didn’t think that through.”
However, others were quick to point out the reason behind the cable. Numerous commenters explained that the security device prevented shoplifters from stealing racks of clothing at a time.
“It’s to stop boosters from coming and taking them all in one big handful,” one person said.
“It’s kinda smart because it prevents boosters from running in and grabbing the hangers,” another pointed out.
One user claimed the shoplifting was so bad at the store they worked at that, they had to stop working there.
“The amount of people who would come in and just grab and entire rack and run out was absurd and I felt unsafe,” they wrote.
However, one Kohl’s employee did laugh about how many customers did not realize how easy it was to bypass the security cable.
“Y’all would not believe the amount of people who ask me to come unlock these and I have to tell them to take the hanger off,” she shared.
@bobbystarnino #fyp #trending #funnyvideo #comedyvideo #retailtherapy #underarmour ♬ original sound – Bobby Starnino
The Daily Dot reached out to Starnino via TikTok direct message, and to Kohl’s via email.
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