In the fourth quarter of 2022, Target claimed it lost $400 million in profits due to retail theft alone. There have been instances where the global retailer has beefed up security, even putting certain products under lock and key in parts of the store that previously weren’t in some locations.
One TikToker, @j.cara8, uploaded a clip that gives a look into how much theft is going on in her Target’s beauty section on a daily basis. In her viral clip that’s garnered over 115,000 likes as of Sunday, she even shows how staff members go about reporting stolen items that have been removed from their packaging by recording herself walking into what looks like a staff-only area.
@j.cara8 Stolen items found in the beauty section at Target #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #sad #stolen #dontdothis #payforyouritems #target #beauty #targettok #tiktok #makeup #hair #cosemetics #vlog #video #working #work #stocking #targethaul #targetrun #targetaudience #targetstore #shopping #targetstyle #stolenitems ♬ original sound – J.cara8
She says in the clip as she hovers the camera over a cardboard box filled with pieces of torn/opened packaging, “This was everything that was stolen in the beauty section today that we found just laying around, empty packages.”
She then shows off a ripped-open cardboard box of Cetaphil, saying, “This moisturizer just empty. This Morphe 2 pallet, some Vaseline, some…serum drops, eyelashes…”
The worker then holds up two tubes of lipstick and says, “Both of these were used and just really gross, stolen body sponge, Aquaphor was stolen, some Lux lip oil…creamy concealer, another Morphe 2 thing, a hair tie, mascara, some more lipsticks that were damaged, Pacifica body serum…face serum, and an eyeliner from Nyx.”
The TikToker then begins tossing the empty packages into a cardboard box before walking to a plastic container that reads, “EMPTY PACKAGE BIN.”.
The sheet also delineates a list of “Do’s” and “Don’ts” which tells employees to include the “date/time” that the stolen items were found, along with the “location” they were spotted in the store, and the utilization of “empty bin stickers.” According to the document, the bin is not supposed to house “open containers of food,” defective products, or torn/opened packages that still contain items inside of them.
The user wrote in the caption that these “stolen items” were “found in the beauty section at Target.”
Many commenters didn’t seem to think that theft of the products was that big of a deal, with one user writing, “I hope they enjoy their new items <3 <3.” Another thought the haul was “impressive.” Someone else quipped, “Proud of my girls.”
Another remarked, “YASSS THEY’RE SLAYING,” while someone else expressed that they thought the thieves have “good taste.”
A Target employee added in the comments that they come across evidence of customers stealing consistently.
“I work at Target in the beauty dept. Everyday it’s shocking how much people steal,” they shared.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Target via email and @j.card8 via TikTok comment.
