WALMART employees are now enforcing a new sticker rule in stores that targets your unbagged items.
Customers are claiming that employees will chase you down to make sure you are following the new policy.
Walmart employees are now enforcing a new sticker rule in stores that targets your unbagged items[/caption]
A social media posts has revealed a new rule at Walmart that involves employees putting stickers on your unbagged items.
This is supposedly being done to indicate that the items have been scanned.
It’s thought that this is mainly done to deter theft at self-cehckout.
This is mainly used at self-checkout, as customers are asked to scan unbagged items, and then a sticker is applied.
One post on Facebook explained: “FYI you gonna get chased down for having something as simple as a soda unbagged!
“They will literally chase you down!
“Walmart is placing stickers on unbagged items, particularly those at the bottom of the cart or in containers, as a way to indicate they have been scanned and deter theft, according to a Reddit thread and a customer discussion on Facebook.
“This practice is particularly noticeable at self-checkout lanes, where customers are asked to scan items that are not bagged, and then a sticker is applied.
“The stickers are a visible indicator that the items have been processed, and also help door hosts quickly identify if an item has been scanned, according to a Reddit thread.”
A GOOD IDEA?
In the comments, shoppers had mixed reactions as some said that Walmart should hire employees to run the self-checkout lanes instead.
One person said: “Another good way is to hire enough employees to run the registers lol.
“I love how they get paid to stand there and watch me work.”
And another suggested the same: “So instead of going through all of that effort to make sure that things are not stolen, why don’t we return to having employees return to working at checkout aisles
“Wouldn’t that be cheaper than losing money due to theft?”
Anti-theft measures rolled out by retailers
Retailers across the US and Canada have rolled out strategies designed to combat theft. The U.S. Sun has compiled a list of measures that have been implemented at stores.
- Locking items in cabinets
- Security pegs
- Security cameras
- Signs warning about the impact of theft
- Receipt scanners
- Receipt checks
- Carts with locking technology
Someone also said that Walmart could run into problems with customers reproducing the stickers.
The US Sun has contacted Walmart for comment, but did not hear back right away.
CHECKOUT THEFT
Self-checkout theft in the US is highly monitored, and hefty fines are in place for those who are caught doing it.
For example, in the state of Texas, the crime is broken down into two separate categories, “the pass-around” and the “banana trick”.
The first method refers to a more traditional checkout theft, not scanning an item and then walking out with it.
For this, the fine you will receive is normally based on the total value stolen.
Different values stolen result in different levels of fines being issued, if you steal products that add up to less than $100, you will be hit by a maximum $500 fine.
But if the items fall between $2,500 and $30,000, you will be hit with a $10,000 fine.
The “banana trick” is when a customer is scanning an item, and instead uses a bar code for a cheaper item instead of something that is more expensive.
These fines are normally based on the difference between the actual item you should’ve scanned and the one you did.
