Reader survey: “Upon discovering that an item they want to buy is in a locked case, less than one in three shoppers (32%) get a store employee to unlock the case.” There is a 0% chance of me shopping at a store with these locked product cages.
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Discussion 4 comments
They should put QR codes right there so you can quickly find it in their online store and buy it. Otherwise, unless I need it immediately, I'll just go online to Amazon or Google it and buy it that way.
Yeah these are a sinkhole, making things way worse. Especially since it often takes several minutes for a staff member to show up with a key. Maybe they're on their way, maybe they're not. At least with Uber you know where your driver is.
These locked cases are endemic in Washington, DC where I live. To open them, you'll have to wander the store to find an employee or with some places, hit a button that alerts someone who will slowly make their way over to unlock the case for you. Shoplifting happens in DC, I see it fairly frequently, but I have a hard time believing this is a worthy trade-off for the stores.
I guess you could buy what you wanted online, or pre-buy for pickup at the store. But if you need it right away, just go to the street where it's all being sold by street vendors (16th & Mission in SF).
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