Walmart is testing a new method of dealing with blocked products

Walmart is testing a new way to allow potential customers to access locked products while effectively preventing theft. In recent years, many consumers have noticed a growing and sometimes frustrating trend: the products they want to buy at stores like Walmart or Target are trapped behind glass doors, locked tight. In order to get their hands on the desired deodorant, baby formula or mascara, potential buyers must press a buzzer and wait for a walking employee to assist them. Or, even worse, getting into these prisons often requires a few minutes of aimless wandering in the hope of running into a staff member with a key.

Although sales of physical copies of video games have decreased drastically in recent years, this theft protection applies to them as well. In fact, video games were some of the first products to receive this “look but don't touch” treatment, so much so that it's more surprising to find a game sitting on a shelf and readily available. And while this practice is somewhat understandable, it can also be irritating to customers and can even negatively affect sales.

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According to Bloomberg, Walmart is testing a new method to ease the frustration of finding locked physical copies of video games, laundry soap and even toothbrushes. Although details are thin, this new technology will apparently allow people to bypass locks using their mobile phones. The system has already been implemented in several hundred Walmart stores, but is currently limited to employees and is being tested by employees.

Walmart's new theft protection method could ease customer frustration

Most people have seen videos on social media of shoplifters entering stores, grabbing handfuls and bags of items, and then nonchalantly leaving, unchallenged by staff or security. While this new Walmart technology may alleviate some of the inconvenience for regular customers, it may also have drawbacks. People in grocery stores regularly leave freezer doors hanging open, to the point that many stores have self-closing doors installed. Once unlocked, these anti-theft doors can be left open and unattended, rendering them useless. There's also not much stopping thieves from accessing the items they want via their phone and then helping themselves to more than they paid for.

When it comes to selling video games, Walmart's new method, if adopted by other stores, may come too little too late. Many brick-and-mortar stores are ending physical game sales altogether, leaving Walmart, Target, and sites like Amazon among the few remaining places to buy physical copies of new releases.

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