2023-08-06 18:48:42
In the face of a dramatic rise in shoplifting cases in the greater San Francisco area, in the United States, a grocery banner has installed in at least two of its stores bill “scanners” at the checkout counters .
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Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the problem of shoplifting has worsened in California.
Inflation and the housing crisis have pushed many people into the street, and convenience stores, such as grocery stores and pharmacies, are particularly targeted by thieves.
While a Walgreens pharmacy in downtown San Francisco installed anti-theft devices in product aisles, grocery chain Safeway came up with a new measure last July.
@bett_yu It’s no secret some San Francisco businesses have been hit hard by rampant theft and shoplifting. Safeway has installed gates inside some of their high-theft San Francisco stores where customers have to scan their receipts to exit. At least two San Francisco Safeway stores have the new sliding gates, including this one on Webster Street and the Mission Street store in the Excelsior District. A Safeway spokeswoman wrote in a statement to KPIX 5, “recent changes were made at select Safeway stores in the Bay Area… given the increasing amount of theft. Those updates include operational changes to the front end of the stores to deter shoplifting.” Safeway has tried many security measures in recent years, including metal gates to prevent people from leaving through closed registers and long metal poles attached to shopping carts so people can’t just run out with a cart full of products. #sanfrancisco #sf #bayarea #california #safeway #shopping #store #groceries #news ♬ original sound – Betty Yu
At the checkout exit, scanners and a barrier have been installed.
Customers must ‘scan’ their invoice to be able to leave the supermarket.
In a statement sent to the KPIX 5 channel, the American company explains its strategy to reduce the scourge of shoplifting.
“Recent changes have been made to participating Safeway grocery stores due to the steady increase in theft. These include operational changes at grocery store exits to discourage shoplifting.
The short snippet of customers scanning their bills caused a stir on TikTok.
Many Internet users are amazed to see that the scourge has become so worrying.
“What happens if I don’t buy anything? Are we still stuck?” asks a man.
“I stopped going [au Safeway] as soon as they installed the barriers […] it’s annoying. I prefer to go to Walmart and show them my bill before leaving,” said one user.
“It will be commonplace in all stores,” thinks another Internet user, adding that the measure has already proven itself in Europe.
@bett_yu It’s no secret some San Francisco businesses have been hit hard by rampant theft and shoplifting. Safeway has installed gates inside some of their high-theft San Francisco stores where customers have to scan their receipts to exit. At least two San Francisco Safeway stores have the new sliding gates, including this one on Webster Street and the Mission Street store in the Excelsior District. A Safeway spokeswoman wrote in a statement to KPIX 5, “recent changes were made at select Safeway stores in the Bay Area… given the increasing amount of theft. Those updates include operational changes to the front end of the stores to deter shoplifting.” Safeway has tried many security measures in recent years, including metal gates to prevent people from leaving through closed registers and long metal poles attached to shopping carts so people can’t just run out with a cart full of products. #sanfrancisco #sf #bayarea #california #safeway #shopping #store #groceries #news ♬ original sound – Betty Yu
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#antitheft #measure #exit #grocery #stores #reacting
