Went to get toothpaste yesterday. It was locked behind plexiglass. Had to find an employee to unlock it. Waited 10 minutes. For toothpaste.
Deodorant: locked. Razors: locked. Laundry detergent at some stores: locked. I've even seen SOCKS locked up.
I get why stores do it. But the shopping experience is miserable now. And the prices haven't gone down despite all the "loss prevention" measures. So who's actually benefiting here?
The real issue is that organized retail theft rings are running operations, not random people stealing food. They resell on Amazon and Facebook Marketplace. It's a business.
I just order online now. If I need an employee to unlock 4 different items during a 15 minute shopping trip, I'd rather pay for shipping and skip the hassle.
I watched someone walk out of a store with a full cart last week. Employees didn't even react. They're told not to intervene. I don't blame them — not worth getting hurt over merchandise.
Stores in wealthier areas don't lock stuff up even though they get shoplifted too. It's a customer experience decision, not purely a theft rate one. Think about what that says.
Doorbell camera caught someone trying my door at 3am
Package thieves are out of control in my neighborhood
Car break-ins happening every night on my street
What's the best home security system? Ring vs SimpliSafe vs ADT
Catalytic converter theft: which cars are most targeted?
Nobody benefits. Shoplifting goes up, stores lock everything, customers leave, stores close, and the neighborhood loses access to basic retail. It's a death spiral.