A disgruntled Walmart customer, who was asked to wait for a computer game, left his full cart and went to Costco instead.
In an X post, general gamer Dave (@Sndper) announced that he had ended his 15-year boycott of Walmart by going there at 6 AM to buy groceries. He also mentioned wanting to purchase a video game but found the case locked.
Dave stated that a Walmart employee requested him to come back at 8 AM when the department opened. This would have resulted in a two-hour wait for just one item. "I promptly pushed my entire full cart in the aisle and walked out," he claimed.
Dave vowed to boycott Walmart after the unpleasant experience. He mentioned that his boycott extends beyond Walmart stores and includes Sam's Club.
Dave immediately cancelled his Sam's Club membership and quickly purchased a Costco membership. It's noteworthy that in July, Costco announced a membership fee increase in the United States and Canada, effective September 1.
The Truth About Locked-Up Items
Major retailers, such as Walmart, secure items in cases to prevent theft. Joe Budano, the CEO of Indyme, a security device manufacturer, told Forbes that retailers have adopted a fortress mentality by locking up items.
"Retailers aren't clueless," he told Forbes in 2023. "They know customers hate finding stuff locked up." Budano explained that shoppers are more likely to leave the store rather than wait for an employee to unlock a cabinet. Shoppers have expressed frustration over these measures, deeming them inconvenient.
The Great Retail Lock-Up
However, computer games are not the only items locked up by store management. Even inexpensive items and power tools are kept in cages in hardware stores like Home Depot. Shoppers have expressed frustration over these anti-theft measures, which have prevented them from purchasing certain items.
The U.S. Sun reported that some Walmart and Target shoppers were confused when items like underwear and socks were placed behind locked cases. Target has implemented a multifaceted approach to combat shoplifting, including the use of closed cabinets.
A Target spokesperson told Fox Business that decisions regarding implementing these policies are made locally. The policy was not universally welcomed, and company CEO Brian Cornell made headlines after claiming shoppers were personally thanking him.
The top executive suggested that customers were satisfied with the availability of their desired items. Some shoppers at the time criticised Cornell's comments as foolish.
Target's Multi-faceted Approach
Last week, Cornell told Yahoo Finance that he feels more optimistic than he did a year ago and expressed hope that the company could reduce some of the security measures.
"I feel so much better today than I did a year ago," Target CEO Brian Cornell said in an interview with Yahoo Finance for its Lead This Way series. "It comes back to support at the federal level, at the state level, and at the local level."
In the meantime, it tightened its return policy and discontinued accepting personal checks. These changes are in response to years of customer abuse and increasing return fraud impacting retailers nationwide.
