Over a quarter of shoppers will avoid products under lock and key

Retailers are turning their stores into mini fortresses, with more products locked up than ever—and shoppers are noticing. A new survey from data firm Numerator found that 60% of shoppers have encountered locked-up items regularly, with 28% running into this every time they visit a store. The lockup trend is most visible in mass merchandise retailers and drugstores, where 68% and 62% of shoppers report seeing items secured behind glass. Supermarkets and dollar stores seem to be holding out a bit more, with only 31% and 18% of respondents noting locked-up goods in these settings.

Interestingly, while pharmacies like CVS tend to lock up items, they also make it relatively easy for shoppers to get assistance unlocking them. CVS scored the highest in ease of assistance, with a net rating of +16%, while Walgreens and Target tied for second place at +12%. Walmart, on the other hand, wasn’t as shopper-friendly when it came to access, with a net ease rating of -13%, highlighting some of the frustration consumers face when trying to retrieve their items.

What’s getting locked up, you ask? Electronics top the list, with 58% of survey respondents seeing tech items behind lock and key. Over-the-counter medications (38%), personal hygiene products (34%), and cosmetics (33%) are also high on the lockup list. Retailers seem to believe that keeping these items secure will reduce theft, but it’s creating a new dilemma: shopper patience. While many customers wait for store staff to assist them, the hassle of waiting drives some to abandon their purchase or turn to online retailers instead.

More than a quarter of surveyed shoppers said they’d consider switching stores if the wait for locked-up items becomes a regular inconvenience. For some products, though, shoppers are willing to stick it out. Just over half (53%) said they’d wait for bath and body items, 56% for makeup, and 57% for hygiene products. For others, though, the line between patience and annoyance is razor-thin……..[read more]

Rising Dough

As stores lock up more of their merchandise to combat theft, it’s raising new challenges for the in-store shopping experience. How might retailers balance protecting their inventory with keeping their customers satisfied, and what strategies could they employ to ensure they don’t lose business?

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