Cosmetics appear to be the latest item to be locked up at Walmart because of a crackdown on shoplifting. One customer — Victoria Damor from Las Vegas — took to social media to express her outrage at having to ask for a $1.50 package of nail files because they were locked behind a case. If customers want to purchase anything behind the case, they have to alert a member of the staff, who will then retrieve it for them. Hundreds of angry customers flocked to social media, dubbing the security precaution a “nightmare.” One user commented: “This is the reason my husband and I almost always do pickup. When we go in, we never get what we need because of everything being locked up,” while another user wrote, “Half the time you have to wait forever to find an employee to unlock the door.” In January, Walmart and Target began locking up underwear and socks at some locations, with staff explaining that underwear is hit by shoplifters every day. The extreme measures big box retailers are taking come as shoplifting continues to be a major crisis. It’s even worse in America’s two largest cities, as thefts increased 64% in New York City and 61$ in Los Angeles over the last four years.
