Target turns to secure shelving to reduce U.S. merchandise theft

Target has begun resorting to installing protective shelving to fight against product theft within the well-known organized retail crime, leaving multi-million dollar losses.

The retailer explained that so far it has selected two stores that have been found to have high levels of theft, one in California and one in New York.

However, Target claims that this is not an extended strategybut these were solutions that are implemented in stores for each location.

In an effort to reduce product theft, Target has established a whole corridor with safety shelveswhich protects personal care products in a store located in San Francisco.

The same was true at a store in Riverdale, New York, where the personal care aisle was also locked and items could only be taken when opened by an employee.

Target implements a “layered approach”

The cases in San Francisco and Riverdale are specific; however, Target looked to a strategy it called “layered” to reduce the impact of retail organized crime.

“This includes in-store technology, training for store managers and security personnel, and partnerships with law enforcement as well as retail associations,” a FoxBusiness spokesperson said.

The Representative also indicated that part of those strategies was the placement of safety shelves and the maintenance of some products subject to theft in closed boxes.

Product extortion has increased in recent months, according to Target and other retailers. leaves multi-million dollar losses for companies.

Merchandise theft is an “ongoing” problem in US stores, according to the National Retail Federation; 70% of retailers in the country say the effects of product theft have worsened.

The most recent data shows that in 2021, losses from organized retail crime rose by 4%, reach $94.5 billionaccording to this association.