Why would CVS make it objectively more difficult to make a purchase if they didn’t have an earnestly held belief that the risk of theft outweighed the loss in sales of having everything “locked up”?
In other words, what motive do retailers have to lie?
Because shopping for things behind plexiglass is such a major hassle that people won't bother purchasing at all?
Time never moves slower than waiting for an indeterminate time, possibly forever, for someone to come to open the plexiglass for you, especially as you're not even sure the button you pressed to call for help even worked.
Their businesses are failing because they’re mismanaged and online retailers are putting them out of business. Blaming a made up retail theft boogeyman distracts from their incompetence and hopefully keeps stock prices and golden parachutes up a little longer.
No, it isn’t a massive conspiracy. A handful of executives decided to score some political points by publicizing a demonstrably farcical narrative around organized retail theft.
This is what I wonder about. Locking items behind glass has to have some second order effects? When Target started locking toothpaste and laundry detergent behind glass, I stopped going to that store entirely. They lost the sale of whole basket of goods to prevent shrinkage of one item!
When I see this I can’t help but think that these big box retailers are in a death spiral.
In other words, what motive do retailers have to lie?