Walmart has had to adopt a new strategy to address theft at self-checkouts, and customers are not happy.
Previously, staff manually checked customers’ receipts with the items in their bags.
However, thieves have learned to take advantage of this by using old receipts, from different stores, or even completely fake ones.
In response, Walmart has begun using handheld scanners in select stores to verify the authenticity of customers’ receipts after payment.
The policy is designed to detect theft in action, but also to deter would-be thieves for fear of being discovered.
A viral video shows Walmart employees scanning customers’ receipts as they leave the store.
The smartphone-sized scanners confirm that the items were purchased within the last four hours and at the same location.
“We scan every receipt and then, like her, we just look for the largest items,” a Walmart worker is heard explaining to a customer. in a recent viral video.
The employee said 100 stores received the new technology with an eye toward rolling it out further.
“My mom used to work at Walmart and she said you can refuse to let them look at your receipt,” one outraged viewer commented on the video.
Another was angry that the staff checking receipts would work cash registers.
“Instead of having all these people standing at the doors, why don’t you have someone work the cash register who can ring up all the items and then you won’t have to worry about people not paying,” added another.
“Just shop at Target, they won’t treat you like a criminal,” a third suggested.
Experts said shoplifting may not be as bad as retailers say.
‘The various sources of crime data (from government agencies and private groups) tell a consistent story. Retail theft has not increased nationwide in recent years,” he said. The New York Times analysis concluded.
However, individual reports support claims that thieves use fake receipts to steal.
Walmart and other food giants have taken steps to crack down on shoplifting.
Earlier this summer, two suspects in Kansas were caught using fake receipts at a Walmart to steal about $2,500 worth of products from the store. according to local police.
A woman also sparked outrage online after recently filming herself shoplifting at Walmart and posting it online.
Other measures introduced by Walmart to crack down on theft at its self-checkouts include the introduction of invisible barcodes.
The feature allows shoppers to simply move an item over the self-checkout scanner, which will register the item without needing to scan a visible barcode.