Getting your deodorant or favorite shampoo at Walmart (WMT) might soon be a little harder. That’s because the retail giant is locking up everyday items in a bid to combat the surge in retail theft.
As reported by Bloomberg, Walmart is testing a new in-store technology that would let customers unlock security cases directly from their smartphones. Workers at select locations are currently testing the tech, and if the trial run proves successful, Walmart plans to expand it to loyalty members.
This means the days of awkwardly waiting for an employee to unlock your deodorant or cold medicine could soon be over. Mobile-unlocking could streamline the shopping process while addressing the need for tighter security.
Should Walmart roll out the system across its more than 4,600 locations, it could mark a significant shift in how retailers handle “shrink” — inventory lost due to shoplifting — while meeting customer expectations. The company did not immediately respond to Quartz’s request for comment.
This move is part of a broader trend across the retail industry to fend off rising theft. Drugstore chains like CVS (CVS) and Walgreens (WBA), as well as home improvement giants like Home Depot (HD) and footwear retailer Foot Locker (FL), all reported a surge in thefts in 2023.
Most recently, Target (TGT), has taken a deliberate approach. In late September, Target CEO Brian Cornell said the company would keep essentials like body wash and undergarments secured for the foreseeable future.
While Target has not indicated plans to remove its glass cases anytime soon, the company has been experimenting with self-checkout changes.
In March, it introduced a new policy limiting the number of items shoppers could scan at self-checkout to 10 or fewer. Then, in April, it rolled out self-checkout technology that alerts customers if they forgot to scan an item.
