A grocery store employee has revealed why Walmart hasn’t stopped shoplifting after it recently announced an increase in theft could lead to higher prices.
Theft is a problem for retailers across the country, not just Walmart, with shoplifting reaching record highs during the pandemic, according to the National Retail Federation.
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According to the NRF, retailer inventory losses totaled $94 billion in 2021.
The Wall Street Journal reports that these losses are primarily due to shoplifting.
Representatives of the Washington Food Workers’ Union told WKYT that most employees they represent are advised not to stop shoplifting.
This is because employees, shoplifters, and other shoppers can get hurt during an argument, which can lead to lawsuits.
A 26.5% increase in “organized retail crime” perpetrated by groups of people in 2021, according to NRF research.
And in December 2022, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon told CNBC that “theft is an issue” in stores.
“It’s higher than it’s ever been in history,” he said.
McMillon warned that if the problem is not addressed, “prices will go up or stores will close.”
Walmart has gone to great lengths to combat shoplifters.
One of the ways the superstore has tried to stop thieves is by hiding items from the hands of an easy thief.
A Reddit user claimed on Walmart’s subreddit that stores have begun using spider-wrap security devices to combat theft from meat walls.
“I’ve seen meat wrapped in spiders, and that seems very problematic to me,” read one comment.
“Wrap doesn’t stack well. Does anyone clean the spider wraps?”
Another Walmart customer claimed on Quora that he and his girlfriend had to go through four anti-theft measures to buy $2 cosmetics protected by plexiglass.
The couple had to press a button on the wall and warned a Walmart employee to come and unlock the case.
When an employee came to her aid, she received her make-up and locked it in a portable plexiglass case fitted with an alarm sensor and an ink tag.
The two then had to go to the cashier who had to call the manager to unlock the case so they could purchase $2 of cosmetics.
