One of the strategies Target has utilized amid its efforts to curb more shoplifting are locked-up cases.
The company has resorted to keeping all items in the personal care aisle at a location on San Francisco’s Folsom Street in locked shelves, footage of which recently received significant engagement on social media. WNCT-TV reported that has been the case for some things there since at least October.
Another Target outside of Manhattan in Riverdale, New York, has also made it so rows in its personal care section are locked up and require a staffer to open.
Target takes a “multi-layered approach to combating theft,” a company spokesperson told FOX Business on Tuesday.
“This includes in-store technology, training for store leaders and security team members, and partnerships with law enforcement agencies as well as retail trade associations,” the spokesperson continued. “On a limited basis, we also employ theft-deterrent merchandising strategies, such as locking cases, for categories that are prone to theft. While we don’t share specifics on these strategies, these decisions are generally made at a local level.”
The spokesperson confirmed the locking cases at the San Francisco and Riverdale stores were implemented at the local level due to theft.
CEO Brian Cornell described “shortage” as an industry-wide “financial headwind” on the company’s third-quarter earnings call in November. Retailers often use that term or “shrink” for theft and other types of inventory losses.
At the time, he said Target was “making significant investments in training and technology that can deter theft and keep our guests and store team members safe” because the company, like other retailers, observed an uptick in shoplifting and organized retail crime.
The Associated Press reported in February that Target has been putting more products behind locks, doing so for entire categories.
Putting products in security cases is something some other retailers have done more as well, as previously reported by FOX Business.
In a recent report, the National Retail Federation (NRF) called organized retail crime a “persistent and endemic problem in the United States that appears to be growing.” Of the retailers it surveyed, about 70% reported thinking organized retail crime’s threat has worsened.
Total losses from shrink increased roughly 4%, coming in at $94.5 billion in 2021, the NRF has previously reported. It largely attributed those to external theft like organized retail crime and shoplifting.
Haven’t been inside a Target since it welcomed BLM & allowed filming its “message” inside its stores. MIxed use bathrooms told us where it was going years ago. Bankrupt Target! We still retain that power – let’s use it!
Wow, that sounds great! But look at it a little closer. Lets say that that someone wants razor blades, and asked for the employee to open the case. Once the case is open , what if he pushes the employee down, or punches, or beats the person helping him, then he grabs everything in the unlocked case and runs out of the store. Or, now he has one item in his hand, a calmly walks out of the store? If there is a group of guys asking for something locked up, they could all walk, without paying. They would have to place those tags that set off an alarm before they get out of the store. I worked for a hardware store for a little while, and these guys carried a cutter that took the tag off the item with snips. I pay for whatever is in my cart, am honest, and I can think of things to do to get around security, what does a criminal think about?
Target doesn’t need to worry about my next Target shopping experience, as I will never shop there again because of their woke attitude. “F” Target.”