Traditionally it's been a way for big businesses to bully local municipalities into giving them free security via local cops, tax incentives, etc by claiming that they're losing so much money to shoplifters that they have no choice but to close shop unless something changes (which is always bullshit, they're printing money). Walmart is infamous for doing this to small towns after they annihilate any local competition through lower prices from their economy of scale.
I think it's simply that they want to close stores, and just saying it's because store has lower profits than their target will mean they have to field a bunch of calls and letter campaigns from grumpy people trying to tell them their neighborhood is important, while saying it's crime will get those same people to blame anyone else.
I went once to pick up condoms and they were behind those glass doors. I pressed the button and it announced loudly that assistance was needed in "Family Planning" and everyone nearby started looking over and despite not being a teenager the embarrassment is never any less. I was just waiting around until someone finally came and they had the wrong key or something and started yelling at someone to bring the key to family planning, only further drawing attention to my anti-volcel ass. It was pretty uncomfortable. Never went back there for that again.
Waiting 10 minutes for a rite aid employee to grab a deodorant for me and I open it to smell it and don’t like the smell but she already walked away. Ok thanks for the free deodorant I guess
Yeah the deodorant getting locked up is so ridiculous, these are $3-4 items and you need to keep them behind plexiglass? Fuck you, I'm shop lifting out of principle now.
I mean it really should be obvious. There is a rite aid near me that is going out of business, so they rarely restock shelves. The only shelves that are ever not looking completely barren are the shelves of things that are locked up. Not only are the locked up shelves not barren, they are completely full. That should tell you all you need to know right there. Unlock the fucking shelves, you’re literally going bankrupt.
The one here had their drink cooler actively broken, making weird noises and smells, for two full months before someone finally put up a sign that said "sorry, the cooler isn't working; the drinks are fine but warm".
My local supermarket put their most expensive meat into a locked cage. Apparently that hurt sales more than the occasional lost roastbeef did because the cage is gone now.
Good. Shoplifting like this makes the only way to be a profitable shop is to be invested in uplifting the local community out of poverty and have them actually respect you as a positive actor. Not sure any big business would ever actually do that, but it has to push things in a slightly positive direction.
And the best advertisement for my local mom and pop oharmacy was the fact that every trip to walgreens for drugs took 45 minutes to an hour. At the mom and pop, it's 5, and they're friendly because they aren't understaffed
I think the big chain pharmacies hope that this helps their bottom line because you will be walking around shopping, but the olds at mine just sit in the chairs and wait.