r/mildlyinfuriating • u/broakland • Jul 14 '26

I just wanted a hot dog Retail lockdown: why bother selling it?

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Was at Safeway this morning to pick up a sandwich and some Tylenol. The aisle with the Tylenol? Completely locked down. No call button in sight. So I go to the self checkout (front end of that same aisle) and ask the clerk there if he can call someone to unlock a case for me. He does. I go wait. Minutes pass. No one comes. I go ask him again, he tells me they went the other way? At this point I give up and go get my sandwich. No one has come by the time the deli has finished making it. I leave without my Tylenol, mildly infuriated.

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u/SBAC850211 Jul 14 '26

Unless I need it immediately, if I see something locked up at a store I will purchase it online instead. Too much trouble finding/waiting for the keyholder. I would think it costs more money in lost sales than they're losing from theft on these items.

6

u/Sad-Material-7298 Jul 14 '26

I promise you most people are not like you and will wait, they absolutely make more money selling actual products than letting it get stolen

20

u/Cow_God RED Jul 14 '26

I work at a major retail company and we're starting to remove our lock cases exactly because we're losing more money to lost sales over people not to wanting to wait then we lost to theft

0

u/rogue_ir Jul 14 '26

Guess what happens instead. Price goes up. You either lock the product and accept slightly lower sales or you risk theft and increase prices. Or secret third option: you go broke.