CVS Customer Shocked By ‘Nightmare’ In Beverage Aisle As Anti-Theft Measures Drop To ‘New Level’

Shoppers are fed up with anti-theft measures that block easy access to items that customers could previously grab and buy immediately.

For months, rampant theft has forced major retailers to get creative to protect their products, customers and employees.

Companies like Walmart, Target and CVS have defended the measures as a way to curb shoplifting in stores.

However, consumers have lambasted the new anti-theft policies, often saying they detract from the shopping experience.

Several shoppers recently took to X to express their frustration with a highly controversial policy: locking products on shelves or in crates.

A shopper shared an image of popular energy drinks stored in a refrigerated display case at CVS.

Although the image appears normal at first glance, an external lock can be seen wrapped around the door handles of the enclosure, preventing customers from opening the enclosure by themselves.

Instead, buyers are now forced to seek help from an employee who can unlock the box with an external key.

“An introvert’s nightmare,” the customer wrote.

“All beverages are locked up – from water to alcohol, at CVS.”

This anti-theft measure has been found on a variety of products.

Another shopper shared on X that he found similar locks on frozen food boxes and shelves at CVS.

“They locked up the frozen foods at CVS,” the customer wrote.

“What stage of capitalism are we talking about?”

A third shopper responded to the post, criticizing the company for not enclosing items consumers use every day, like the Uncrustables snack in the lunch box.

“Locking up non-crisp food is a new ordeal,” the customer said.

Locking products in stores has become increasingly common as shoplifting has increased over the past year.

WSL Strategic Retail found in November 2023 that approximately 70% of customers in the United States reported finding items they wanted to purchase locked on a shelf.

Of those buyers, about 22% said they would not wait for help accessing the item.

This was due to a variety of reasons, including buyers’ lack of time, inability to find help or anger over the anti-theft measure.

Consumers have expressed similar concerns about other anti-theft policies that they say hamper the shopping experience by increasing the time it takes to exit the store.

These policies often include checking customers’ receipts or bags after using a self-service payment machine.

Despite criticism, retailers like CVS have defended the use of these anti-crime policies.

CVS previously told the US Sun that one of the company’s top priorities was keeping products in stock and available to customers.

“Different products experience different theft rates, depending on store location and other factors, and our product protection decisions are data-driven,” a spokesperson said.

“We use a variety of different measures to deter or prevent theft and locking a product is a measure of last resort.”