Walmart Locks Up Jeans as Stores Struggle With Theft

Social media users shared photos and videos this week showing Walmart locking jeans and some other items behind glass security doors amid concerns over retail theft.

Over the past several months, many corporations have faced a rise in retail thefts prompting some such as Walmart and Target, to implement additional security measures.

On X, formerly Twitter, user @WallStreetSilv shared a photo on Thursday of several pairs of jeans locked behind glass security doors that would require an employee to open in order for a customer to purchase them.

“Walmart Locks Up Their Jeans. I guess too many were just walking off. Pretty soon you won’t be able to go into the stores. Pick up or delivery only. Which is probably what they want. Brick and mortar stores are expensive. A pure online model is probably the future we are moving towards,” the post reads.

A Walmart spokesperson told Newsweek on Friday that they are unable to confirm the exact store location where this photograph was taken, but said that “some products are subject to additional security.”

“Those determinations are made on a store-by-store basis. Walmart will continue to explore additional ways to protect its merchandise, keep prices low and keep product in stock for the millions of customers it serves each week,” the spokesperson added.

Meanwhile, X user @TTEcclesBrown responded to @WallStreetSilv’s post and wrote on Thursday, “Walmart is locking just about everything up in high-theft areas!” The post also included a video showing items such as air fresheners and cleaning supplies locked up behind glass doors.

In September, the National Retail Federation (NRF) released results from its 2022 survey detailing monetary losses due to retail theft, which found that “as a percentage of total retail sales in 2022, shrink accounted for $112.1 billion in losses, up from $93.9 billion in 2021.”

Shrink is defined by the NRF as a measurement of inventory loss which could stem from theft, operational errors or any other mistakes relating to inventory at a specific store.

“We do think that in some jurisdictions here in the U.S., there needs to be action taken to help protect people from crime, including theft,” Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said while speaking to investors about retail theft throughout the United States, Fox Business reported in August.

Several other social media users also shared similar posts showing different items, including jeans, locked up behind additional security doors at Walmart.

In January, X user @MiKE_i0S wrote, “I’m here at @Walmart I been waiting to get some dickie pants for 20-25 mins Walmart is infamous for the sorry a** customer service,” with a photo showing the pants locked behind glass doors.

In addition, another X user @TotalWindUp shared a video in December 2018 that showed an aisle in Walmart where jeans were locked behind glass doors.

Last year, McMillon appeared on CNBC’s Squawk Box and spoke about retail theft at Walmart, “Theft is an issue. It’s higher than what it has historically been…We’ve got safety measures, security measures that we’ve put in place by store location. I think local law enforcement being staffed and being a good partner is part of that equation, and that’s normally how we approach it.”

He added: “If that’s not corrected over time, prices will be higher, and/or stores will close. It’s really city-by-city, location-by-location.”