Some Americans believe that retail theft has spiked massively. They believe that organized smash and grabs have become common in some cities, forcing retailers to take drastic measures.
A true picture for how much retail theft is occurring is not an easy one to paint.
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“Violent crime has declined nationally since jumping in 2020, but trends in retail theft are more difficult to assess, in part because of varying data collection and theft reporting methods. That said, the available crime data and industry figures cut against claims of a national increase in retail theft, despite notable spikes in some cities,” according to data from the Brennan Center for Justice.
Without considering the full extent, or lack of extent to the problem, it’s fair to say that some city retail chains have seen their shoplifting numbers increase. That has forced them to make changes like doing away with self-checkout, and adding more internal security.
There remains, however, a line between reasonable security and creating a miserable shopping experience. CVS (CVS) , at least in some New York City locations, has crossed the line.
The chain, in the interest of loss prevention, has opted for a terrible shopping experience. That creates a self-fulfilling prophecy.
If you make shopping terrible, customers will go elsewhere.
Image source: Shutterstock
CVS has put its goods in prison
Recently, I visited New York City and stayed near Grand Central Station. My travel bag was completely devoid of toiletries because I had just got off a cruise ship in Orlando and did not have any of the right sizes to bring on.a plane.
So, even before I checked into my hotel, I went to the nearby CVS. I needed a lot of basics, such as shampoo, a shaving kit, Tylenol, and a few other things.
Most of what I needed was on the bottom level of the store. That level was basically just one long locked shelf. There were very few items you could actually access to buy. That would be fine if there was anyone to help you nearby.
In addition, when someone came to help you, something that was not quick, they did not stay to help you open the next case. Basically, every time I found an item I had to press a button for a worker to come free that item from behind its prison.
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That may be a great way to stop people from stealing items, like razors or razor blades, which are relatively easy to slip into a pocket. In other cases, there were items locked up like some of the shampoo that seemed a lot more difficult to steal.
In either case, it was a wildly unpleasant shopping experience. In a few cases, I just grabbed the rare low-cost item that was not locked up.
Mostly, however, I gave up.
CVS forces shoppers to other stores
Walking into a store and buying something should be more convenient than ordering it online. That should certainly be the case when you literally walk by the store.
The entire point of a store is that it offers immediacy. You can walk in, take what you need off the shelf, check out, and have that item ready for immediate use.
Forcing customers to ring a bell and wait for someone to help them, literally takes the convenience out of the convenience store model. CVS may not bill itself as a convenience store, but all of the non-prescription items it sells are about convenience.
If I want the best price, I go to Target or a grocery store. When I go to CVS for non-medical reasons, it’s because I want convenience.
That is especially true when I am traveling. In this case, I could’ve had what I needed sent to my hotel by Amazon with overnight delivery.
Instead, I tacked on my needs to an Uber Eats. I had to wait for two separate drivers, but it was a lot more convenient to get the toiletries I needed than to shop at CVS.
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There has to be a better way to stop theft, than locking items up. Sure, they won’t get stolen, but they also won’t get purchased.
CVS has to know the absurdity of this. And plenty of technology exists that could help the company deal with theft. This method simply isn’t the answer.
