Theft, Shoplifting, etc.

Predicting the demise of Sears & Kmart since 2017!
Alpha8472
Posts: 3929
Joined: February 24th, 2009, 8:55 pm
Been thanked: 79 times
Status: Offline

Theft, Shoplifting, etc.

Post by Alpha8472 »

Someone was mentioning returning to a catalog style store to reduce shoplifting. What do you think?

What about outside restrooms to stop theft?
storewanderer
Posts: 14379
Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 3:54 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 298 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Theft, Shoplifting, etc.

Post by storewanderer »

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...
User avatar
submariner
Founder of RetailWatchers.com
Founder of RetailWatchers.com
Posts: 571
Joined: February 22nd, 2009, 10:35 am
Location: Canberra, ACT, Australia
Has thanked: 5 times
Been thanked: 24 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Theft, Shoplifting, etc.

Post by submariner »

Alpha8472 wrote: June 19th, 2021, 8:57 pm Someone was mentioning returning to a catalog style store to reduce shoplifting. What do you think?

What about outside restrooms to stop theft?
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.
Super S
Posts: 2690
Joined: April 1st, 2009, 9:27 pm
Has thanked: 11 times
Been thanked: 61 times
Status: Offline

Re: Theft, Shoplifting, etc.

Post by Super S »

submariner wrote: June 20th, 2021, 5:53 am
Alpha8472 wrote: June 19th, 2021, 8:57 pm Someone was mentioning returning to a catalog style store to reduce shoplifting. What do you think?

What about outside restrooms to stop theft?
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.


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.
BillyGr
Store Manager
Store Manager
Posts: 1578
Joined: October 5th, 2010, 7:33 pm
Been thanked: 58 times
Status: Offline

Re: Theft, Shoplifting, etc.

Post by BillyGr »

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...
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
Posts: 14379
Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 3:54 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 298 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Theft, Shoplifting, etc.

Post by storewanderer »

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...
Alpha8472
Posts: 3929
Joined: February 24th, 2009, 8:55 pm
Been thanked: 79 times
Status: Offline

Re: Theft, Shoplifting, etc.

Post by Alpha8472 »

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.
storewanderer
Posts: 14379
Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 3:54 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 298 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Theft, Shoplifting, etc.

Post by storewanderer »

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.
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.

Definitely not their typical format. No clue why it existed.
Alpha8472
Posts: 3929
Joined: February 24th, 2009, 8:55 pm
Been thanked: 79 times
Status: Offline

Re: Theft, Shoplifting, etc.

Post by Alpha8472 »

Yes, that was the one. It was hidden on a back street far away from the main roads. No one knew about it.
pseudo3d
Posts: 3851
Joined: November 12th, 2015, 7:01 pm
Has thanked: 5 times
Been thanked: 77 times
Status: Offline

Re: Theft, Shoplifting, etc.

Post by pseudo3d »

Alpha8472 wrote: June 19th, 2021, 8:57 pm Someone was mentioning returning to a catalog style store to reduce shoplifting. What do you think?

What about outside restrooms to stop theft?
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.
Post Reply