Why CVS and Target Locking Up Products Is Backfiring – Bloomberg

My wife can tell you I’ve been harping on this for months now. Ever since our local Target went this direction.

The plastic shields, once used sparingly to secure certain kinds of expensive or heavily regulated items such as cellphones or cigarettes, were now holding hostage run-of-the-mill toiletries and cleaning supplies. To negotiate their release, you’d need a key-wielding store employee. If no one was around—and no one ever was—you could press a call button and hope for the best.

Turns out, when you treat every customer like a criminal, the good ones will shop where they are treated like customers.

I’ve literally gone to Target to get something, found it locked up, and found it easier to whip out my phone and order it from Amazon for same day delivery than press the stupid button and wait for an employee.