Philadelphia Retailers Resort to Anti-Theft Glass, Driving Customers Away? What Really Happened?

When Bryan Calhoun goes on a Target run, he avoids the store in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, just a few miles away from his home in Broomall, a western suburb of Philadelphia. He opts instead to drive to Wayne or Malvern, where fewer items are locked behind antitheft glass. In this article we talk about Philadelphia Retailers Resort to Anti-Theft Glass, Driving Customers Away.

“At a place like Target, it’s fun to look around. You go in for toothpaste, and you end up with $200 worth of stuff,” said Calhoun, 55, an agency recruiter. Yet when seemingly mundane items like socks, body wash and detergent are behind a secure case, “it takes the fun out of the experience.”

Philadelphia consumers are often used to locked cases in pharmacies and retail stores. In recent years, some suburban shoppers say they have encountered more, too. The increase in anti-theft measures has sparked debate among experts about whether the tactics are warranted, especially when it’s difficult to determine if retail theft is actually rising.

Major retailers provide little transparency into what data they use to decide which items to lock up. CVS and Walgreens spokespeople told The Philadelphia Inquirer that internal data informs these decisions but they declined to share specifics.

Among consumers, however, there is agreement: The locked cases are an inconvenience that’s often another reason to shop online instead.

“I recognize there is a reason why those things have been put in place, but it just makes me not want to patronize that store,” said Andrew Lax, 38, of Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, who has shopped at city and suburban stores for 10 years.

For shoppers like Lax, browsing aisles and comparing products in-person is part of the appeal.

“If I’m going to lose that experience anyway,” said Lax, a business owner, “I’m just going to shop online.”

This sentiment is increasingly common, said Peter Fader, a marketing professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School who studies consumer behavior.

“You just don’t want the shopping trip to have that kind of friction,” Fader said. In-person retailers are “already facing these online pressures,” he added. By locking up so many products, companies are “making it harder for themselves” to retain loyal customers.

What Gets Locked Behind Glass?

At some Philadelphia-area stores, everyday items like diapers, face wash, pain relievers, detergent, and more are kept under lock and key.

Retailers contend the tactic is necessary to prevent organized retail crime rings from stealing merchandise to resell online. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner launched a task force this year to target such groups, noting a 27% increase in reported retail theft in the city from 2022 to 2023.

“Different products experience different theft rates, depending on store location and other factors, and our product protection decisions are data driven,” said CVS spokesperson Amy Thibault in a statement about the chain’s security tactics. “We utilize a variety of different measures to deter or prevent theft and locking a product is a measure of last resort.”

Meanwhile, some politicians and pundits have pointed to locked-up drug store items as evidence of the need for tough-on-crime policies. However, experts question some of the rhetoric around retail theft trends when data is unreliable or unavailable. Some chains have blamed crime for closing stores or weak profits only to have those claims scrutinized or retracted.

In Philadelphia’s suburbs, the data on retail theft arrests shows mixed trends. Cases decreased slightly in Chester and Delaware counties but rose somewhat in Montgomery and Bucks counties from 2018 to 2022.

Spokespeople for Target and Rite Aid, which has closed dozens of area stores due to “local business conditions,” did not respond to Inquirer requests for comment.

In a statement, Walgreens said: “Retail crime is one of the top challenges facing our industry today…We continue to take measures, like installing antitheft devices, to deter theft and ensure safety and security in our stores. These steps are taken in response to theft data and for that reason only.”

Consumers Notice Inconsistencies

Shoppers have noticed seemingly arbitrary differences in what gets locked up depending on the store location.

At one Philadelphia Target, entire aisles containing store-brand items like pore strips, face wash, and toothpaste were locked while pricier body washes and hair products were easily accessible. At a suburban location, over-the-counter pain relievers were behind glass while a wider selection of toiletry products was available without barriers next door at Rite Aid.

Marcus Philpot was ready to grab a $2 air freshener at a Delaware County Walmart when he realized the inexpensive items were secured in a case. He decided it wasn’t worth the trouble to ask an employee to assist.

“It just took away from the convenience,” Philpot said. “It just makes me feel like, ‘Damn, crime must be increasing.’ People will steal anything if they need air fresheners behind glass.”

But does it work? Experts doubt it.

More than 70% of shoppers said theft-prevention measures make them less likely to visit physical stores, per a recent survey. Major chains don’t share data on the impact of these tactics.

Some consumers see locked merchandise as just one more reason to go online. Taryn McNabb likes to shop in-person but opts for curbside pickup with her young kids. Andrew Lax turned to Amazon Subscribe & Save for household items he used to buy locally.

When Bryan Calhoun sees a needed product locked up, he makes a note to buy it elsewhere or pulls up Amazon.

“Do I really want to wait 10 minutes for someone to come over and unlock a case of shampoo?” he asks himself.

The Risks for Retailers

There are risks to relying heavily on anti-theft glass and packaging. The inconvenience for shoppers makes the in-store experience less enjoyable and drives more sales online.

And the optics don’t look good when seemingly random items are locked up while more valuable merchandise sits freely on shelves. It leaves consumers questioning whether theft is as big of an issue as retailers claim.

Ultimately, companies have to weigh the pros and cons of these security tactics. They may deter some theft but also undermine customer loyalty and sales.

As online shopping captures more market share, brick-and-mortar retailers can scarcely afford to give shoppers one more reason to click not walk. The rise of anti-theft measures in Philadelphia-area stores may keep some thieves at bay but also push more dollars into Amazon’s pockets.

That’s a tradeoff many major chains may come to regret. Consumers have made it clear: locked up shampoo and toothpaste takes the fun out of shopping. And when the experience feels like a hassle, customers will take their business elsewhere. I sincerely hope you find this “Philadelphia Retailers Resort to Anti-Theft Glass, Driving Customers Away? What Really Happened?” article helpful.