We’ve all found ourselves frustrated at the store because the item we want is behind a cage, and there isn’t an employee with the key around to get it out for us. But soon, that problem could disappear.
According to a report from Bloomberg, Walmart is testing new ways for customers to get items that are behind security locks.
The report shares that Walmart has started implementing technology at a few hundred locations that allow employees to unlock the cases without manually using the keys.
A person familiar with the matter added that the company could eventually roll out a mobile unlocking system that lets Walmart+ members get behind cages without the assistance of a worker at all.
The new efforts could be a giant step forward for retailers, who have been working to curb shoplifting, which has increased in recent years.
While it would be major for one of the country’s largest retailers, the tech from Walmart isn’t the first of its kind.
Earlier this year, CNN reported that a company called Indyme had its product, “Freedom Case,” being used by 26 different retailers, including Kroger and Lowe’s. Freedom Case lets customers access locked merchandise all by using their cell phone number, an app, a store loyalty card, or even their face.
CVS has also tested mobile unlocking at some of its stores, according to a recent video from the company’s VP of merchandising. The unlocking is down through the CVS app.
Shoplifting and theft have become major points of concern throughout this year, with shoplifting increasing by 24% through the first half of this year, while almost every other crime fell, according to the Council on Criminal Justice.
With the holiday shopping season just around the corner, a poll from the retail mobile communications platform Theatro highlighted that 78% of shoppers are afraid for their safety and security while shopping in person this holiday season.
The poll also found that 60% of shoppers agreed that proactive measures to keep stores safe during the 2024 holidays should be implemented by retailers.