With theft on the rise at an all-time high—Retailers are taking action in the implementation of various measures to mitigate theft. In this article, we’ll explore the double-edged sword of locking up merchandise and evaluate the benefits of safeguarding the products and the drawbacks in doing so.

Locking up merchandise serves as a strong deterrent against shoplifting. Valuable or high-demand items are typically targeted by thieves and securing them behind locked cases or display cabinets can significantly reduce the risk of theft. This measure helps businesses minimize losses and maintain profitability, we have seen this method of security significantly reduce shrink and overall loss of product—Retailers are preventing opportunistic theft, and are making it extremely difficult for shoplifters to perform their “Grab & Go’s.” While we know that locking product up will effectively deter theft , we must also investigate the impact that it has on overall shopping experience… Let’s dive in to see what things look like from a customer or shopper’s perspective.

Striking that balance between security and consumer interaction is crucial…But it’s also a challenge. While products are housed behind closed and locked doors, customers are experiencing a significant change to their overall shopping experience… And not necessarily for the better. With products locked up, shoppers can essentially no longer just shop. Locking up merchandise limits customers' ability to interact freely with products. For certain items, such as clothing or electronics, customers prefer to touch, feel, and try them out before making a purchase decision. The need to ask for assistance, and then wait until an associate is available to help to unlock very common products, such as skincare or vitamins, has shoppers showing extreme frustration. Let’s face it, we are all, for the most part, always in a hurry—Not only are we putting a huge roadblock up here for consumers, but retailers on the flip side are seeing a decline in sales because of customer frustration and reduced impulse buying. A customer is not going to wait very long to have help grabbing a bottle of Retinol from the shelf—Nor are they going to grab another bottle of makeup remover, 2 tubes of toothpaste, mascara and an extra bodywash on their way out… Simply because, they can’t.

We believe that there does NOT need to be a trade off in security and shopping experience. Like our core line of products, we design all of our solutions with both the consumer and customer (retailer) in mind. We believe in keeping products secure, slowing the ability to sweep, and still allowing the green shoppers to have a very positive experience. Our team has worked tirelessly to develop a solution that strikes that balance between securing merchandise and allowing it to be shopped—We’ve explored many options and have implemented innovative measures and technology to meet both goals. No longer are our customers (retailers) having to put product behind locked doors… We’re slowing down the sweep, reducing shrink and creating a positive environment and experience for all shoppers. To learn more about what Scorpion is doing to mitigate theft and increase sales for retailers, connect with us today on our Smart Barrier System, used to protect any items housed on shelves or even pegboard/slat wall. We look forward to hearing from you and helping combat theft for your store location(s).