New anti-theft Walgreens store has just 2 aisles of touchable merchandise

[mbz321]

I was wondering how long it would be until one of the big chains experimented with something like this...

New anti-theft Walgreens store has just 2 aisles of touchable merchandise
May 31, 2023 2:49 PM CWBChicago Loop

CHICAGO — During an earnings call with Walgreens investors earlier this year, the company’s chief financial officer opined that his fellow executives may have overstated the effects of organized shoplifting rings on its operations.

“Maybe we cried too much last year,” James Kehoe said.

Good luck balancing that cheery, non-crying analysis with what you see when you walk into the company’s freshly redesigned store at 2 East Roosevelt in downtown Chicago.

In what was once a typical Walgreens, there are now just two short aisles of so-called “essentials” where “customers may shop for themselves.” If you want anything else—a bottle of booze, a deodorant brand deemed “non-essential”—you’ll need to order it at a kiosk and pick it up at the counter.
https://cwbchicago.com/2023/05/new-anti ... B1e79K0BqA

[storewanderer]

Without seeing the kiosk interface I shouldn't give an opinion, but just looking at the size of the screen the kiosk appears anything but user friendly. I cannot imagine customers will tolerate this set up.

Also I wonder what the deal with the pharmacy kiosk system of its own is. Are you not allowed to even approach the pharmacy? Is the pharmacist going to walk across the sales floor all day to do consultations out at a counter there that is near the public area (or the pharmacy cashier to bring out script orders that do not require a consultation?).

Can't imagine this working for any amount of time.

[Alpha8472]

The pharmacy has kiosks, but apparently pickup is still in the same place. The idea is that kiosks will reduce the need for employees at the pharmacy. It probably won't work as many customers still need to speak to a pharmacist about how to take new medications.

A kiosk might help to let staff know you are there to pick up a prescription, but most of the time the kiosk will say that your prescription is not ready for some reason and to speak to an employee. So it will just be a waste of time.

Kiosks at a pharmacy counter simply won't work.

[norcalriteaidclerk]

Maybe paywalled for some readers but on the subject of Walgreens and shrink...

[storewanderer]

Maybe paywalled for some readers but on the subject of Walgreens and shrink...

I cannot imagine who possibly gave them permission to close the store for a day just because they had 12 shoplifters show up at the store. I expect some heads to definitely roll over this decision.

I also see the article says the shoplifters were walking through the store with "bags." I don't know if those were reusable bags or trash bags but nobody should have any bags on the sales floor.

[mbz321]

I also see the article says the shoplifters were walking through the store with "bags." I don't know if those were reusable bags or trash bags but nobody should have any bags on the sales floor.

And who exactly is going to stop them? The one lonely cashier or a manager hiding in the back? Most of these criminals are in and out in a matter of minutes.

[jamcool]

So we are going back to the days of the corner drugstore with everything behind the counter?

[rwsandiego]

I cannot imagine who possibly gave them permission to close the store for a day just because they had 12 shoplifters show up at the store. I expect some heads to definitely roll over this decision...

I'd be surprised if they didn't get permission to close after twelve shoplifters descended on the store. The place must be a wreck and the employees must be freaked out.

It is common in the financial services industry to close offices after a robbery, even when the robber passes a note and the teller hands them the bait money.

I also see the article says the shoplifters were walking through the store with "bags." I don't know if those were reusable bags or trash bags but nobody should have any bags on the sales floor.

I am sure the thieves are environmentally conscious and brought reusable bags with them. Of course, they could have just stolen them, too. Next time they will bring the reusable bags. Then, they can steal an extra ten cents worth of merchandise but that will be OK.

Using the store's own plastic bags from the registers or using trash bags are more probable than reusable bags.

[storewanderer]

I'd be surprised if they didn't get permission to close after twelve shoplifters descended on the store. The place must be a wreck and the employees must be freaked out.

It is common in the financial services industry to close offices after a robbery, even when the robber passes a note and the teller hands them the bait money.

I am sure the thieves are environmentally conscious and brought reusable bags with them. Of course, they could have just stolen them, too. Next time they will bring the reusable bags. Then, they can steal an extra ten cents worth of merchandise but that will be OK.

Using the store's own plastic bags from the registers or using trash bags are more probable than reusable bags.

The whole thing is interesting. The policy last year was the stores were not allowed to call the police. Something seems to have changed because they got a college police unit as well as the city police unit out to the store to apprehend 3 shoplifters at the same time (they all showed up together) and they were all taken to jail then released with a citation to return for a court date.

To get to the store's own plastic bags they would have had to go behind a register. In this store design the bags are behind the register and inaccessible unless you go behind the register. They obviously did something to call attention to themselves so maybe this was it.

Shoplifters prefer to use their own reusable bags (whether or not they paid for them, got some for free from the jail as they were walking out with their citation/return to court notices, or stole them from somewhere else at some point doesn't really matter to the store they use them in to steal) because they know how much they can fit in them and do not have to worry about things like lack of availability of reusable bags, reusable bags placed somewhere that will call attention to their presence, trying to find trash bags in the store, etc. The thing that works even better than reusable bags can be store hand baskets. However the store hand baskets due to their open nature and "air holes" around sides/edges help the camera to better show what is in the basket as they walk around. With the reusable bags it is much easier for them to conceal items; if they throw items into them where the cameras are poor/blind spots as long as the bag is deep enough, those can go into the reusable bag and not be seen. Similar issue with trash bags however the likelihood of a trash bag breaking is much greater than the likelihood of a reusable bag breaking. If in a hand basket various items missed by the camera when the items were going off the shelf may be seen again later once the cameras have a better view. Reusable bags are a very helpful thing for the shoplifters.

[reymann]

i have a feeling that soon enough, that they might try a curbside pickup/delivery only model where all items must be preordered from the website to keep shoplifters out.