In the past few years, shoppers have noticed something peculiar at many retail locations. Specifically, they’ve seen items that were previously freely able to be removed from shelves now locked behind glass doors.
This is rarely met with praise from shoppers. Many have shared their negative experiences with such anti-theft measures; for example, one shopper claimed she had to wait a full hour before being able to purchase nail polish. Another said they ended up leaving a store after no employee came to assist them and unlock the case for a $4 battery.
Seeing these reactions, some stores have indicated that they’re moving away from this model. Others, however, appear to be doubling down, as a recent video from TikTok user Kevin Dahlgren (@truthonthestreets) shows.
Why is cereal locked up at this CVS?
In a video with over 31,000 views, Dahlgren shows shelves of candy, cereal, and other items locked up behind glass. The video appears to be filmed at a CVS location.
“Serial thefts lead to locked cereal,” he writes in the text overlaying the video.
While Dahlgren appears to claim that these locked up items were in response to rising levels of shoplifting, there’s little data to support this idea.
“Shrinkage” in the context of retail refers to “when a company loses inventory from causes other than sales,” per Indeed. This includes shoplifting and theft by employees.
According to the National Retail Federation’s 2023 report, data shows that the percentage of shrinkage due to external theft has consistently been around 36% since at least 2015. This goes against the idea that there has been a significant increase in shoplifting.
When asked about this discrepancy by the Daily Dot, David Johnston, VP of Asset Protection & Retail Operations at the National Retail Federation, admitted that some of the anti-theft measures employed by these stores are the “based on the retailer’s perception” and that data surrounding these retailers’ perception of theft is “not quantifiable.”
In an email to the Daily Dot, a CVS spokesperson wrote the following: “It’s important that we keep products in stock and available for our customers to purchase. Different products experience different theft rates, depending on store location and other factors, and our product protection decisions are data driven. We utilize a variety of different measures to deter or prevent theft and locking a product is a measure of last resort.”
@truthonthestreets #crime ♬ House Of The Rising Sun – The Animals
Commenters share their thoughts
In the comments section, users shared their opinions on these locked up items.
“It’s all by design. They don’t want you in stores anymore. Curbside/delivery only. It’s a lot cheaper to run one warehouse vs 5 store fronts. And only employee theft to deal with,” speculated a commenter.
“This store should be closed and service customers through a drive thru,” offered another. “Why even have people come into the store?”
“It’s pathetic how stingy grocery stores are,” declared a third.
The Daily Dot reached out to CVS via email and Dahlgren via Instagram DM and X DM.
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