CVS rolls out innovative tech to tackle shoplifting without inconveniencing honest customers

CVS is trialing innovative technology to help tackle shoplifting in its stores without inconveniencing customers. 

In the past few years,  major retailers - including CVS and rival drugstore Walgreens plus Walmart and Target -  have increasingly locked up items in a bid to prevent shoplifting. 

The move has been controversial, with many customers complaining about having to wait for an employee to unlock the plexiglass barrier so they can retrieve a toothbrush or a stick of deodorant.

But now the pharmacy chain is trialing new technology which will cut this waiting time for shoppers.

Shoppers are able to open doors by using the CVS mobile app. 

Customers open the app, click 'unlock products' and hold their phone against a sensor attached to the case, which should open and allow them to retrieve their desired item themselves. 

Then, they close and lock the door again and head to the checkout. 

'We've seen a massive increase in retail crime, across not just CVS, but retailers across the country,' CVS chief merchandising officer Musab Balbale told Good Morning America. 

'The amount of theft that is happening in our stores is up 30 percent versus three years ago.' 

The CVS tech is currently being trialed in three stores in New York City, and there are plans to expand to a small number of additional stores on the West Coast. 

It comes as Walmart is testing similar tech in a few hundred stores - which also allows cases to be unlocked using a cellphone.

The company is rolling out the tech to employees first, but then could extend the mobile unlocking to members of its Walmart+ loyalty program, according to people familiar with the plan. 

Walmart has previously said shrink, which is the industry term for a loss of inventory due to theft, damage, or other factors, is a challenge for retailers. 

For every item which is stolen, stores lose not only what they paid for the stock, but also any potential earnings from its sale. 

Many retailers have reported incidents of increased theft in recent years, and have locked up more items in store as a result - much to the dismay of loyal customers. 

Not only does locking up items frustrate customers, but it also creates more work for employees who have to travel around stores opening the locks manually with a key - especially if the store is low on staff.

According to a recent study from Consumer World, cited by TheStreet, 55 percent of respondents said when they found an item locked up in a store, they look for another place to buy it rather than seeking an employee to unlock the case. 

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said in a recent earnings call that customers are growing so tired of seeing products locked up in stores and pharmacies that they are flocking toward delivery services. 

He added that Amazon Pharmacy is benefiting from the 'speed and ease' that physical pharmacies are beginning to lack. 

But stores are not only facing the threat of individual shoplifters. One source of increased theft in recent years is organized retail crime, according to a 2023 survey by the National Retail Federation.

Products that are frequently targeted include detergent, cosmetics and cold medicine, which can then be resold online.

As well as locking up products, stores have also installed more cameras and hired more security guards in order to fight back against rising theft.

Walmart recently rolled out body cameras to employees at multiple stores in the Dallas area to help deter and address confrontations with aggressive customers. 

Many retailers have also put increased checks on self-service registers, or simply removed them entirely.

Walmart has introduced barcodes which are invisible to the naked eye, but are printed all over an item, enabling it to be easily picked up by a self-checkout scanner.

This makes it harder for shoplifters to pocket items without properly scanning them.