Inside Walmart, Target, and Home Depot’s $95 billion theft problem and the anti-theft security cameras that monitor every aisle

As retail theft has become a nearly $95 billion problem, retailers are making every effort to combat the crime — including using supplemental surveillance cameras in stores.

The National Retail Federation’s most recent National Retail Security Survey found that organized retail crime cost businesses $94.5 billion in 2021 – a huge jump from $90.8 billion in 2020.

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This has left retailers relying on increased camera security, locks, plexiglass, locked cabinets and signage to deter thieves.

Business Insider recently visited four major retailers to find out about the current measures.

Walmart

Last December, Walmart CEO Doug McMillion told CNBC that store theft was “higher than it has been in the past.”

He hinted at the time that the drop in sales could lead to price hikes and store closures.

To prevent this, McMillion found that various security measures were in place, including staffing local law enforcement agencies.

Business Insider found evidence of this at a local Walmart store in Louisville, Kentucky.

Specifically, the outlet found certain cameras installed in drug and beauty aisles and a “Lot Cop” surveillance tag in the parking lot.

Inside the store, shoppers may come across signs warning potential shoplifters, reading “Surveillance cameras in action” and “Reducing theft helps us all by keeping prices low.”

In addition, many items were locked behind glass doors, while others were locked in individual plastic boxes.

Some products have also been wrapped in spider wrap alarms, which feature a bulky black alarm that goes off when the store exits.

LOWES

Also in Louisville, a local Lowe’s store is taking what can be viewed as stepping up measures to prevent retail crime.

According to Business Insider, the hardware store mainly relies on traditional locks and small alarms from the Swiss company Pataco for small and large power tools such as leaf blowers and grinders.

For some other power tools, Lowe’s goes a step further and uses large metal cages that have to be unlocked by an employee before they can be taken by the customer.

Like Walmart, the retailer is deploying security cameras in several of its aisles as a preventative measure.

Earlier this month, Lowe’s also announced a new security measure through its Innovation Labs called Project Unlock.

The initiative relies on radio frequency identity (RFID) chips embedded in power tools during manufacture, which contain a unique serial number for the item. The serial number is also embedded in the item’s barcode.

The products are set to non-functional before purchase.

However, when the barcode is scanned and the item is paid for, a specific RFID scanner activates the tool.

Lowe’s hopes the project will deter shoplifters from stealing the items, since they are less valuable if they are not functional.

TARGET

In Madison, Wisconsin, Business Insider found a local Target store that used popular Spider Wrap alarms to protect many of its products.

The outlet even found bundles of the alarm systems in a refill cart to be added to the products before they went on display.

It wasn’t immediately clear if an employee was using the backup alarms or if they were outdoors.

Like other large retailers, Target used plastic security boxes for certain personal products, such as B. Plan B emergency contraceptive pills.

Other items such as video games and electronics were locked in security boxes.

While a retractable rope allowed shoppers to watch the game, if they wanted to purchase the item they had to have a staff member help them.

According to Business Insider, copies of the games were in a separate locker.

Along Target’s beauty aisles, some items — including false lashes and press-on nails — were protected by security tags that had to be removed upon purchase.

Target is also taking steps to prevent thieves from taking their shopping carts, particularly through a shopping cart retrieval system manufactured by Gatekeeper Systems, the outlet said.

HOUSE DEPOT

Also in Madison, a Home Depot location has deployed surveillance cameras at the store’s front entrance to immediately warn shoppers of the surveillance.

As at Lowe’s, several power tools were locked in metal cages with padlocks that reminded customers to bring the item outside the store for checkout.

Although it was unclear whether any of the items required employee activation, Home Depot used multiple “non-working displays” for some items.

Another security measure used by the retailer was “twist release” displays.

While customers don’t need help from staff to retrieve the item, it becomes more difficult for shoplifters to grab multiple products from the display at once.

Additionally, Home Depot put security tags on many items, but Business Insider found the action contradictory because not all products carried the same tags.

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