Kroger apologizes as shopper forced to wait 10 minutes for worker to unlock cage and fumes ‘this is why retail is dying’
After waiting more than ten minutes for a typical grocery item, a KROGER client is enraged.
They are now vowing to permanently boycott the supermarket chain.
Earlier this month, Andy, a customer in Aposton X, inquired, “I’m waiting more than ten minutes for someone to unlock… laundry detergent?”
“At @kroger @kingsoopers this is why retail is dying.”
An increasingly popular anti-theft tactic used by retail giants was to lock the laundry detergent behind a glass cabinet.
At a few locations, Kroger has secured products behind glass to stop inventory loss.
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Although the technique works, issues can occur if the store is understaffed or extremely busy on a given day, leaving few staff members available to open the glass cabinets and assist customers with their needs.
Longer wait periods for things that customers may have easily gotten in the past may arise from this.
Some, like Andy, believe the measure is unfair to law-abiding grocery consumers.
“Going to get delivery service from another company after this,” Andy sighed.
SORRIES GIVEN
In a prompt response to the complaint, Kroger expressed regret and asked the consumer for additional details.
“Hi, Andy! The retailer’s official X account responded, “Thank you for getting in touch, and we’re sorry to hear that you’re waiting for someone to unlock.”
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“We don’t want our customers to have this experience. To help us escalate this, kindly DM us with the precise store address and zip code.
Although it’s unclear if the problem has been fixed, Kroger isn’t the only retailer receiving complaints this holiday season about products that are locked behind glass.
Another customer criticized Target for having things that were secured behind glass last month.
After waiting more than fifteen minutes for their daughter to receive cold medicine, Mary, the customer, wandered around the store and discovered that, like Andy at Kroger, the laundry detergent was likewise locked away.
KEY INSIGHTS: Locked Up Items
For its How America Shops study, WSL Strategic Retail polled consumers in November 2023 regarding the use of theft-proof cabinets.
The main conclusions are as follows:
- 70% of shoppers had faced locked-up goods when hoping to purchase an item.
- 78% of these shoppers said they got help from an employee and waited to buy a product though this number dropped for customers under the age of 26.
- 12% of shoppers said they refused to buy the product and many went online or to another store instead.
- Meanwhile, 10% said they bought a similar product that was readily available in the same store. Again, among Gen Z customers there was a difference with 19% of them saying they did this.
Why didn’t 22% of customers wait for help?
- The majority wanted to avoid the additional hassle.
- Many were unable to find a store associate and those that did said the employee had trouble opening the cabinet.
- One-third were angry about the fact the products were locked up
- One quarter said they did not have the time to wait for assistance.
WSL Strategic Retail is the source.
“Went to get her a few other things and just skipped laundry soap and a few other items because they were all locked up too,” Marywroteon X. said.
She also threatened to boycott, choosing instead to buy necessities from online retailers like Amazon.
SAME BOAT
In order to deter theft, Target also installed lockable glass cabinets in a few of its locations.
At one point in September 2023, the retail behemoth had to close nine of its more than 1,900 outlets nationally due to rampant theft.
“We cannot continue operating these stores because theft and organized retail crime are threatening the safety of our team and guests and contributing to unsustainable business performance,” Target stated in a news release.
Customers have also criticized Target and Kroger for their self-checkout kiosks.
There aren’t enough traditional cashier lines open anymore, according to some, with an emphasis on self-service.
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A Kroger customer reported that “only 2 registers & self-checkout were open” on their most recent visit, which caused them to have issues when they were shopping during the holiday season.
Another person said that their neighborhood Kroger had “six people watching the checkout lane and zero employees on the actual register,” which made them so angry that they left their cart behind and left.
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