Walmart Introduces Unusual Anti-Theft Measures amid Surge in Retail Crime
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Retailers across the US are turning to extreme measures like locking meat in metal cages, as theft at self-checkouts continues to surge.
A Walmart shopper was stunned to find steaks locked in metal cages, highlighting the escalating use of extreme security tactics in US retail stores facing rising theft.
A viral TikTok video has drawn attention to new anti-theft packaging at a Walmart store, where New York strip steaks were secured in metal wire cages.
Each package was fastened with a locking clasp that requires store staff to unlock it using a special device. If not removed, the device triggers alarms at the store’s exits.
One viewer asked: "What's happening in the land of the free?"
Another remarked: "Instead of making food affordable, they make it imprisoned."
A third, identifying as Canadian, said: "I think you guys have lost your way."
The move comes amid a surge in retail theft, particularly at self-checkout counters, pushing major retailers to adopt increasingly aggressive countermeasures.
Costco has responded by posting staff at exits to cross-check receipts with items in customers’ carts.
Sam’s Club, Walmart’s warehouse chain, has eliminated self-checkouts altogether and is introducing AI-driven shopping.
The new system allows shoppers to use the Sam’s Club app to scan barcodes as they shop, place items in their cart, and pay in-app before leaving.
Walmart has also embedded hidden barcodes into the packaging of certain store-brand products.
These invisible codes, undetectable to the naked eye, are readable by scanners and are designed to catch those attempting to skip scanning items.
Pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens now keep most products behind perspex cases, requiring employee assistance for access — a method intended to prevent quick-grab thefts.
However, Walgreens’ CEO recently admitted that the tactic has failed to reduce theft and instead led to a drop in sales.
In one widely reported case, Gregory Lewis, principal of Bok Academy North in Florida, was arrested for stealing $37.45 worth of goods from a Walmart self-checkout.
During his arrest, Lewis confessed: "We sit around talking, 'Hey I did this.' Let me try and see what I can get away with."
He added: "I did something dumb today and I understand it."
Retailers across the country continue to grapple with balancing convenience, security, and customer trust as theft trends evolve.
