Theft, Shoplifting, etc.
Theft, Shoplifting, etc.
Someone was mentioning returning to a catalog style store to reduce shoplifting. What do you think?
What about outside restrooms to stop theft?
What about outside restrooms to stop theft?
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Re: Theft, Shoplifting, etc.
I may have thrown the idea of outside restrooms out there as a means by which to stop people from bringing unpaid goods into the restroom to conceal, but I think they are a lousy idea for a variety of reasons- safety, vandalism, access in times of bad weather...
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Re: Theft, Shoplifting, etc.
In the past year, we've basically done the modern version of that with Curbside Pickup, but then you lose the showroom aspect of a catalog store where people can see, touch, and try the product first... which is a HUGE reason we still have brick & mortar stores for higher value items.
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Re: Theft, Shoplifting, etc.
submariner wrote: ↑June 20th, 2021, 5:53 amIn the past year, we've basically done the modern version of that with Curbside Pickup, but then you lose the showroom aspect of a catalog store where people can see, touch, and try the product first... which is a HUGE reason we still have brick & mortar stores for higher value items.
I see a potential return in larger cities such as Portland, where Walmart and Fred Meyer already keep certain random categories locked up. Or possibly a smaller sales floor with merchandise kept in the back. A significant increase in theft could spur some marginal retailers to close stores and shift more things online.
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Re: Theft, Shoplifting, etc.
Seems like the ideas that a store like Walmart did in the past (where the entry to the restrooms was right by/behind part of the service counter) would be sensible, as it would be less likely for someone to try to bring unsold items in there with someone around to see them. Or the even older Kmart version where you had to be buzzed in by an employee (at that time they were in the same area as layaway, but it could be placed anywhere an employee would normally be stationed).storewanderer wrote: ↑June 19th, 2021, 10:47 pm I may have thrown the idea of outside restrooms out there as a means by which to stop people from bringing unpaid goods into the restroom to conceal, but I think they are a lousy idea for a variety of reasons- safety, vandalism, access in times of bad weather...
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Re: Theft, Shoplifting, etc.
I think in the case of Wal Mart where they have some restrooms in the back (old now unstaffed layaway area) those restrooms should probably just be closed outright to public use and public use restrooms should be the ones up at the front end.
Target seems to have it set up right in most of their stores where restrooms are somewhere along the front wall. As long as they keep them clean and no odor emits as customers walk by them (looking at you Reno Target).
We have already seen some very high volume Wal Mart locations close due to poor performance. It certainly wasn't lack of sales or foot traffic that caused the poor performance...
Target seems to have it set up right in most of their stores where restrooms are somewhere along the front wall. As long as they keep them clean and no odor emits as customers walk by them (looking at you Reno Target).
We have already seen some very high volume Wal Mart locations close due to poor performance. It certainly wasn't lack of sales or foot traffic that caused the poor performance...
Re: Theft, Shoplifting, etc.
There are some high theft Walmart stores where about 40 percent of the store is locked up. The aisles are all glass cabinets. It is insane. With that level of shoplifting, they should create a sort of catalog pick up counter. The Online order Pickup already is at the old Garden Checkout area. It has its own area with employees and cash registers. They just need a large counter and they could keep the high priced / high theft items behind the counter. The employees would bring it over to the Garden registers just a few feet away and then the customers can checkout. It is a little more time consuming, but the employees for Online Pickup already are standing there retrieving online orders and putting them in lockers. The locked cabinet thing is absurd where you have to wait 15-20 minutes for an employee with a key.
There was an Office Depot Store in Concord, California that was entirely catalog showroom style. You would take a paper slip off the showroom floor with the name of the item that you wanted and you would go to the pickup counter. The employee would order the item from the warehouse and it would come out on a conveyor belt. Then you would pay. It was like a Best store. I had never seen an Office Depot like that. Were there any other Office Depot stores like this in any other city? That Office Depot closed years ago, but the building still stands.
There was an Office Depot Store in Concord, California that was entirely catalog showroom style. You would take a paper slip off the showroom floor with the name of the item that you wanted and you would go to the pickup counter. The employee would order the item from the warehouse and it would come out on a conveyor belt. Then you would pay. It was like a Best store. I had never seen an Office Depot like that. Were there any other Office Depot stores like this in any other city? That Office Depot closed years ago, but the building still stands.
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Re: Theft, Shoplifting, etc.
Was that the Office Depot on Challenge Drive? I think they were using that to fulfill business customer orders with a small retail operation on the side.Alpha8472 wrote: ↑June 20th, 2021, 1:31 pm
There was an Office Depot Store in Concord, California that was entirely catalog showroom style. You would take a paper slip off the showroom floor with the name of the item that you wanted and you would go to the pickup counter. The employee would order the item from the warehouse and it would come out on a conveyor belt. Then you would pay. It was like a Best store. I had never seen an Office Depot like that. Were there any other Office Depot stores like this in any other city? That Office Depot closed years ago, but the building still stands.
Definitely not their typical format. No clue why it existed.
Re: Theft, Shoplifting, etc.
Yes, that was the one. It was hidden on a back street far away from the main roads. No one knew about it.
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Re: Theft, Shoplifting, etc.
I don't live in an area with a shoplifting epidemic like San Francisco, but one of the reasons catalog showrooms worked because (especially for larger items), you could observe and handle products before buying them. (Full department stores had similar set-ups). Most shoplifted items are small items that thieves can either swipe en masse and/or stick in their pockets. Baby formulas, condoms, etc....and I'm sure that no one would want to handle a "demo unit" of the latter.