We’ve all been there. You’re in an aisle at Walmart looking right at whatever you want to buy, and there’s not a sales associate in sight. That’s a problem because there’s one of those annoying locks preventing you from taking the item off of the shelf.
TikTok user @thecsickfisherman found himself in a similar predicament when he posted a video on July 8 from the fishing section of his local Walmart. That’s when he noticed something unusual about the locked-up items.
In the video, @thecsickfisherman shows viewers a wall of fish hooks—retailing for less than $4 a piece—under lock-and-key. However, it doesn’t appear to be a very strong protective measure. Scraps of packaging hanging from the display indicate that someone—perhaps more than one—cut the packaging down.
“Clearly, people have not been waiting for them to come by,” says @thecsickfisherman. “You can literally just pull this off or just use scissors, I guess.”
Viewers guess why Walmart’s fishing section is locked up
In the caption, the TikToker wrote, “How do you feel about Walmart locking up the fishing section? Lol.” The video amassed 2.2 million views as of Wednesday morning. In the comments section, users guessed the motivation behind this shopping decision.
One user guessed, “Maybe they still pay… just dont want to wait for someone to release em.”
A second user said, “they take too long and when you finally get someone you pray they have the keys.”
A third user wrote, “It took 15 mins last time and 3 people who had to find someone with keys. I’m walking out at that point.”
However, someone else was more concerned with the price point. “3$ for hooks is wild,” they wrote.
Why are retailers locking more items?
According to USA Today, shoppers are correct in thinking they’ve seen an increase in locked inventory at Walmart and other retailers. Retailers are blaming the decision on increased shoplifting, although the article notes that there isn’t federal crime data to back those claims up.
Either way, this is translating to a more unpleasant experience for many shoppers. The article states, “Joe Budano, CEO of anti-theft technology company Indyme, said his company is selling 30% more help buttons that can alert an employee that a customer wants an item unlocked compared to 2019. ‘They’re locking stuff up like crazy today,’ Budano said. ‘Retailers are just throwing the kitchen sink at (the shrink issue) right now.’”
A Walmart shopper complained about this very issue in a video posted late last year. She expressed dismay that she needed to wait for an associate to help her unlock… dishwashing liquid.
The company’s strategy might be having the opposite effect of the one intended. A man recently posted to TikTok to question how much money this frustrating new policy might be costing Walmart in lost sales.
@thecsickfisherman How do you feel about Walmart locking up the fishing section? Lol #thecsickfisherman #fyp #fypage #fishing ♬ original sound – Csick
The Daily Dot reached out to @thecsickfisherman via TikTok comment and direct message for comment. We also reached out to Walmart via website contact form for comment.
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