Times are tough across East Texas, across Texas and across the country. When times get tough, some people will resort to extreme measures like theft to get by. Some people will look past those extreme measures of theft because of the situation that they are in. But that can eventually lead to acceptance of theft which is a dangerous precedent to set. Because of that theft, some stores have resorted to locking up mundane items because those have become big targets for thieves.

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Locked in a Case

We don't see it in every store but there are some stores that have taken items like shaving blades or electronic storage devices or cosmetics and locked them in a case so a store associate has to be asked to bring that item to a register to be purchased. This is because those seemingly mundane items have become big targets of thieves. We can blame inflation or police not prosecuting petty theft but it's sad that this is what businesses have had to do to prevent theft (cdn.nrf.com).

Toothpaste Being Locked Up

Yes, some stores have even had to resort to locking up toothpaste, a common item that has remained relatively affordable despite the price increases of other items as of late. Other items like over-the-counter medications, teeth-whitening strips and cosmetics have become common targets of organized robbery sprees.

Why has there be an increase in the theft of these low cost items?

The most likely answer is that these items are small and easy to conceal when walking out of the store with them. Another reason is that some law enforcement agencies, like in California and New York, have become less likely to make an arrest for petty theft. This leads people to believe that the theft of smaller items is okay and lawful, kinda like when people don't see a cop checking for speeders on the road and think it's okay to drive above the speed limit.

It's a Dangerous and Irresponsible Thought Process

What some stores are doing to curtail the theft?

Some stores have resorted to locking up certain merchandise so that a customer has to call for an associate to unlock the case, take out the item to be purchased and take it to a register to then be checked out. Customers will find this process irritating, however, and decide to not purchase at all.

That's Where the Company Indyme Comes In

The company Indyme has come up with a possible solution to make this process a bit more convenient for the customer while still protecting the merchandise from theft. Their product is called Freedom Case and allows the customer to use their cell phone to open the case to get their item. A customer can use their phone number, the store's mobile app, facial recognition or the store's loyalty card to allow access to the case. The case also monitors itself and can detect theft and will notify store employees if theft is taking place.

Will we see this in Texas soon?

It's very possible we could see this technology in Texas stores. Not everywhere, but in some stores. Personally, I would give it try if I do run across it. But I have also been gifted (or cursed in some instances) with the virtue of patience. I don't mind waiting for a store employee to come open a case for me.