Stores with locked-down fitting rooms

Predicting the demise of Sears & Kmart since 2017!
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cjd
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Stores with locked-down fitting rooms

Post by cjd »

I was thinking after using a fitting room at Ross recently about this. I notice the discount chains in my area tend to have more security at the fitting rooms, but the traditional department stores don't.

For example, JCPenney, Belk, Bealls and Sears all have fitting rooms in each clothing department, and none of them have an attendant to my knowledge. Anyone can walk into any fitting room with no limit. Bealls outlet doesn't either.

Walmart, however, has always had an attendant at their fitting rooms and they tend to be in a centralized area. The attendant gives a card to hang on the doorknob, or at least that's how it used to work. I haven't used the fitting room there in a long time. Pretty sure Kmart's rooms also had an attendant when it was open.

Ross and Marshalls also have centralized fittings and also attendants with cards. I don't know if they've had problems with theft but Ross is particularly strict and requires the hangers to be hung on hooks before the card is given. And then they have to be hung again upon returning the card. Some of the attendants in that department I have found to be rather rude as well, even when you're cooperative they just seem surly and barky about everything. I suppose perhaps these employees have the most pressure on them as far as loss prevention goes.

Ross' restrooms are also near the fitting rooms and have a locked door leading to them that the fitting room attendant must buzz you into. Marshalls' restrooms are away from their fitting rooms and have a windowless door leading to them. This arrangement to me would increase the potential for theft as it does not allow a clear view of the hallway from the main store.

It just seems odd to be that department stores would be so lax about their fitting rooms given many of them tend to sell higher dollar items, yet discounters seem to have more security.
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Re: Stores with locked-down fitting rooms

Post by Super S »

There was a time when individual departments also had more staffing that could more closely monitor such fitting rooms as the registers were often placed close by. These days, centralized fitting rooms are the norm in new builds and remodels. Sometimes they are locked, sometimes they are not. I have even been to a few JCPenney stores which lack locks of any kind on the doors, meaning you can't even lock them while using them.

In this day and age, where some stores such as Fred Meyer have resorted to locking some clothing items in cases, I am surprised at how some stores don't seem to monitor fitting rooms at all.

The discount stores might pay more attention to this because they have more consistent store designs, and more consistency unfortunately means easier targets for organized theft rings. Department stores often vary considerably in layout from one store to the next and this might deter shoplifting in some cases.
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Re: Stores with locked-down fitting rooms

Post by cjd »

That makes sense. JCPenney did seem to have more fitting rooms than other departments stores too. They have one in both young men's and men sections and I assume the same in juniors/women. When I was a kid, they had them in the children's sections as well. So that's 6 rooms when most have 4. With their remodel about two years ago they removed the registers in the kid's department, and it seems they have closed the fitting rooms there as well. Which makes sense given there isn't a register nearby like the other departments.

I'm pretty sure the JCP doesn't have locks on theirs here either. It's been that way for a long time, at least 15 years.

I remember at one time stores put a chime on their rooms so if anyone went in or out they'd know. I don't believe they have these anymore around here.
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Re: Stores with locked-down fitting rooms

Post by Alpha8472 »

There is much more theft at discount stores such as Ross. Ross and other discount stores monitor their fitting rooms with attendants, but Macy's does not. Macy's has a strict return policy. Each item that is sold has a return sticker with a number. You cannot return an item without the sticker or receipt. It makes stealing and trying to return the item much less desirable.

The fitting rooms at Macy's do not have attendants, but they have cameras that record people at the entrance and the items that they take in. There are people watching.

Generally, the customers at Macy's are higher income and there is less theft. Macy's seems to focus more on preventing fraudulent returns rather than busting people for trying to steal at the fitting room.
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Re: Stores with locked-down fitting rooms

Post by Brian Lutz »

One thing I've noted is that Ross stores around here also station uniformed loss prevention officers in the front of the store, even in nicer areas. As far as I can recall I haven't seen one of these at a TJMaxx/Marshall's or a Burlington store around here.
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Re: Stores with locked-down fitting rooms

Post by Super S »

Brian Lutz wrote: May 13th, 2019, 8:31 am One thing I've noted is that Ross stores around here also station uniformed loss prevention officers in the front of the store, even in nicer areas. As far as I can recall I haven't seen one of these at a TJMaxx/Marshall's or a Burlington store around here.
While I rarely shop at Ross, I have noticed this as well. Target , which normally uses plainclothes security, also has uniformed security in some areas.

It is sad, but my local Goodwill store even had a uniformed security officer present on my last visit.
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Re: Stores with locked-down fitting rooms

Post by Alpha8472 »

A Burlington in San Leandro, California has a security podium and a guard. However, the guard also walks around the store. Apparently, Ross is much more strict about stopping shoplifting at the door. This makes more sense as the door is the place to discourage shoplifters.

When I worked for Ross, even in a high income area, there were shoplifters. Only security guards can stop shoplifters. The other employees are helpless. The other problem was with customers switching price tags to something cheaper. Sometimes the prices were absurdly low. They must have been dishonest.
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Re: Stores with locked-down fitting rooms

Post by storewanderer »

Brian Lutz wrote: May 13th, 2019, 8:31 am One thing I've noted is that Ross stores around here also station uniformed loss prevention officers in the front of the store, even in nicer areas. As far as I can recall I haven't seen one of these at a TJMaxx/Marshall's or a Burlington store around here.
Burlington always has security at the door at its Reno Store but I've never seen it at any others. For a while they had a locked restroom and you had to ring a bell to get into the restroom. The bell went into the security camera room and they supposedly checked the cameras there before remotely unlocking the door to let you inside the restroom. This is a really busy store and a lot of people are shopping there with families, strollers, etc. Elderly people are there in motorized carts or wheel chairs. This was an absolute disaster. They eventually scrapped this policy and now the restrooms are just open again. The irony is this store is an old furniture store and parts of it have extremely low ceilings. So low there is no way there is any decent camera coverage in those merchandise areas.
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