SHOPLIFTING ISSUES, WALMART, TARGET, ETC.

Walmart’s bid to cut shoplifting at self-checkout counters leads to surge in ‘hostile’ encounters with customers--By Lisa Fickenscher

Published Oct. 13, 2023, 6:32 p.m. ET

Walmart’s push to crack down on shoplifting at self-checkout counters with anti-theft technology has led to a surge in “hostile” encounters between hourly workers and shoppers, according to a report.

The big-box chain — one of many retailers battling increasing theft that has eaten into their bottom lines — has armed employees with handheld devices that track purchases at self-checkout registers, an Insider report revealed.

However, the workers claim they are not properly trained to handle sticky-fingered shoppers, many of whom have hurled things at them or become aggressive when confronted for not scanning all their purchases, the outlet reported.

“It’s really uncomfortable, and it becomes, like, a safety issue,” one Walmart employee in Illinois told Insider.

Excerpted----In-store theft has become a pernicious problem for retailers across the country, resulting in major chains shuttering stores hard-hit locations. Last month, Target announced that its closing nine stores in major cities, including one in Harlem, citing theft and employee safety as the chief reasons. READ MORE AT Walmart's bid to cut shoplifting at self-checkout leads to surge in 'hostile' encounters (nypost.com)