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Max security at Walgreens (v.redd.it)

submitted by lowery007

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[–]WestCoastHopHead 1778 points1779 points  (221 children)

Why in the world is Febreeze “locked up”?

[–]SAGNUTZ 1407 points1408 points  (90 children)

Because "It came down from corporate. I know its dumb, but do it anyway.."

[–]Andre4kthegreengiant 542 points543 points  (20 children)

This guy worked retail before

[–][deleted] 181 points182 points  (10 children)

As a retail manager I almost sharted as I laughed. I think some times the employees think I like the the things I say to do.

[–][deleted]  (6 children)

[deleted]

    [–][deleted] 36 points37 points  (5 children)

    If it's something very minor maybe but most of the time it's me reminding and baby sitting forcing my staff most of whom I genuinely care about and enjoy to do something we both know is asinine but I can't tell the dm we aren't doing it till they have done it and I can prove is counter productive

    [–][deleted] 40 points41 points  (1 child)

    I got so sick of that bullshit that I told our DM to expect complaints to go up because they have NO idea what the customers in our area wanted.

    They said do it anyway and complaints nearly tripled after the policy change. Corporate has to pretend to be important so they can justify their absurd pay checks for having conference calls on how to fuck everything up.

    [–]ViperSc00t 8 points9 points  (1 child)

    Now this is an interesting sentence.

    [–]SAGNUTZ 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    I dissagree, i would say it was a paragragh if not for the fact theres not a single period!

    Edit: spleling

    [–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

    And he is being forced to do the same the disconnect happens I think at territory or above

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      [–]bafoon90 12 points13 points  (8 children)

      This is not just a retail thing. When corporate decides it wants to do something, as long as it isn't actually going to hurt something, it's usually best to just sigh and get it done.

      [–]fritz236 25 points26 points  (7 children)

      It's definitely going to hurt sales. I'm not waiting around for fucking febreeze to be unlocked.

      [–]KindaTwisted 20 points21 points  (6 children)

      The decision makers (at least the smart ones) understand its going to impact sales. That number has already been factored in and compared to the loss they're taking from theft of said item in question.

      The bigger question is, who is stealing this in large enough quantities for this to matter?

      [–]CuteMangoDummy 3 points4 points  (1 child)

      At least in my area, places like these are covered for shoplifting for up to $2000 of product a DAY. I don't think they're getting any losses from theft but maybe something else is going on like how tide pods got locked up from the tide pod challenge

      [–]DryGumby 5 points6 points  (0 children)

      In the hood, people steal stuff like this and sell it to shady bodega/corner stores. Also wander into barber shops to peddle it.

      [–]ShivajinChris 3 points4 points  (1 child)

      Our store puts chips for detection on specific alcohol bottles because they were frequently stolen in high amounts. And only then it's only few specific types. But Febreeze? Who the hell steals Febreeze? What the hell is going on in that store? Lmfao

      [–]SAGNUTZ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

      Out of touch upper-middle management. My store has a few plan-Bs' & Afteras on the shelf in plastic lock boxes, those are $40-$50 a pop and would make sense to have high secuity. But even before the loss prevention measures there werent more than 3 every couple-a few months.... It defies expectations, all of it.

      Edit: spelling

      [–]wehooper4 3 points4 points  (0 children)

      That was my question. Who the fuck steals Febreeze?

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        [–]Huttser17 149 points150 points  (39 children)

        It's above our pay grade to ask important questions. Just sign off that you did as you were told and it'll be someone else's fault when it doesn't work.

        [–]SAGNUTZ 52 points53 points  (25 children)

        Yea. MINE! I am the literal bottom of the shit-hill lol. Bad ideas keep happening because no one tells the person who thought them up how bad it is.

        [–]boneheaddigger 45 points46 points  (16 children)

        That's only because the last guy that told the person who thought them up how bad it was ended up "laid off" in a layoff of 1...

        [–]youngmindoldbody 7 points8 points  (4 children)

        As a worker bee, you can never find who's idea it was.

        In a moment of weakness I expressed a problem with procedure to my Sr Mgr. over Teams chat. I doubt I will step up again before I retire in eight years even though he is fair and open minded.

        [–]absumo 8 points9 points  (1 child)

        The best one is when you see idiocy, point it out to your manager's manager, and they reply that no one is responsible. "It's automated." To which you reply "Someone wrote the code and someone set it's parameters for operation." and you only get a shrug and walk off. And, nothing is ever done until it "costs more than X".

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          [–]SAGNUTZ 1 point2 points  (7 children)

          I never doubted the truth behind peoples statements of "Oh you cant say that if you wanna keep your job!" and luckily ive gone this long without being face to face with that issue yet because I am EXACTLY the kind of person to respectfully admit my unwillingness to "lie", to stroke some old wrinkly ego to keep them from firing me. If they were to do that then I could do the other, for there is ever a sort of fair play.

          "Doing the right thing knowing full well you'll be punished for it and doing it anyway is, in essence, CHARACTER." - Some fortune cookie i got once.

          edit: corrections

          [–]boneheaddigger 4 points5 points  (6 children)

          It's less about "doing the right thing regardless of the punishment", and more "is this really worth the effort and hassle for me to say something that may point out the failings of the people above me?" You may not be fired for it, but you may end up having to put in more work than you expected since now you're on the hook because you said something and have to follow whatever changes the management makes. Does the new method solve the problem? Maybe, maybe not. Are you going to be forced to follow it to the letter until its proven, regardless of how much effort is required? You're damn right you will. And sure, it will build character. But part of that character should be learning to pick your battles, otherwise you'll end up putting in a whole lot of work for not much reward.

          [–]SAGNUTZ 1 point2 points  (5 children)

          Oh you'll get no argument from me, everything you just said is exactly true! I havent always stood behind my words said here, but it *stung* every single time i didn't and at some point I start to wonder how many tiny little stings it would cost before a decision on the next tier UP to suddenly be easier to make. Maybe as big as losing all my *tells* for, or god forbid, my painfully obvious discomfort toward saying/stating anything more than a simple twist of language leaking sarcasm or kind, positive encouragement that i don't technically believe in.

          ​

          In the past I've been *courteously informed* by my manager that a particular annual evaluation of the company I submitted may have a bit too strong a flavor of snark and/or unhappiness to not draw unwanted attention if that brand of input continued. Maybe i wasnt subtle enough or maybe my manager was giving the Peter-Principal initiates "upstairs" too much credit. The fact remains and was proven for me then that "Give 5stars or its considered a ZERO" as ridiculous as it is WASN'T the only stipulation. I also had to settle with being all smiles in the comment box provided TOO.

          ​

          I sung very real praise for all my fellow colleagues at the store level, but using that comment box articulately and respectfully to give my input about things above the store level, that they "*ASKED*" for and tried to weasel out of getting by engineering all the questions to be compartmentalized and only precisely referring to how i feel about my immediate supervisor, colleagues and store manager....

          ​

          To use that comment box to voice the things I care enough to worry about was now, always HAS just been there to literally lick boots or leave it blank. People ask me all the time "youve been there long enough to run the place, why are you still at the bottom of the totem pole?!" and THIS is why. The higher i climb up that latter professionally, the further I **KNOW** another aspect of me would have to fall, its exponential. It may be petty, it sounds so petty writing it out until you factor in the implications of each rung on the corporate latter. It doesnt seem likely to get better up there.

          ​

          It sounds more like one of those realizations that drives someone to get burned out and eventually nope right out of the whole thing because "I've just been there long enough to not feel sick to my stomach, just TIRED of it." Sorry, rant took longer than i expected and im not deleting it.

          [–]boneheaddigger 1 point2 points  (4 children)

          In the past I've been courteously informed by my manager...

          This part here and everything after it is the life lesson. You were honest and told them exactly what they asked for initially. Your boss then informed you of exactly what they really wanted. Your choice is either to accept that, do that from now on, and just stop giving a fuck. Or you can get upset, slowly become jaded and bitter that your input is being ignored, and then eventually leave on your own terms or leave on their terms. Not every business is like this, but when you find out that it is then you need to make that decision.

          People ask me all the time "youve been there long enough to run the place, why are you still at the bottom of the totem pole?!" and THIS is why.

          At least you're learning some things, whether or not you like the outcome. For your own sanity, it's probably better that you learn to not give a fuck and only pipe up when it's beneficial to you. That's how they got to be where they are. It takes some people longer than others to learn. It took me until I hit my 40s, and I walked away from a 20 year career to start something new in order to do it. And I've been a lot happier for it. Take that for whatever it's worth.

          [–]SAGNUTZ 1 point2 points  (3 children)

          Its worth quite a bit actually. It seems to be the majority opinion so far. I'm way ahead of ya, well not WAY ahead of your point. In my position i know what to expect, the range of what is expected of me comfortable enough in it that it invites my growing complacency and all the boring risks that implies.

          Where im stuck is at the point I KNOW I could have more room to flourish somewhere else, growing instead of stagnating. But for whatever reason(s) I cant for the life of me muster up the amount of INTEREST in anything to warrent disrupting my current stability.

          THEN I get the shit from my cousin "But you gotta TRY it first! You'll never know how interested you are in something if you dont spend time doing it. You dont do anything, its time to get a better job man c'mon." (I felt gross just typing that)

          I try SO hard not hating on him for it and argue that NO, I dont even have that much interest in anything to even pick something at random after quiting my current job ive spent 13ish years at. All i get for the effort of explaining that the math of the situation for me still makes sense for now is the moderately indignant, broken record of an arguement "But but, you don't DO ANYTHING!" He's worse than my dad because at least dad keeps his mouth fucking shut about his dissapointment in me that will never get closure...

          Shit, Where was i going? Oh yea. The funny thing is Im more likely to keep my mouth shut on official statements writen, but i am very vocal to the supervisor i work with all week. I can say whatever I WANT because i have no power! Lol I dont know...

          Edit: oh yea, Happy Cake Day! There is no cake.

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            [–]Suicidal_Ferret 15 points16 points  (2 children)

            Nah man, it’s never the associate’s fault, you’re just doing what your told. Besides, associates are practically a dime a dozen, even if they fire you, you could come back with a mustache and management wouldn’t even know.

            You know how many times my management would try to blame me? “Oh, so you’re saying I shouldn’t have done exactly what you told me to do. Perhaps you can demonstrate what exactly it is you wanted?”

            Admit nothing, deny everything, make counter accusations.

            [–]youngmindoldbody 11 points12 points  (2 children)

            I work at a S&P 500 tech company. Half-baked ideas are not unique to retail, believe me.

            [–]drmarting25102 2 points3 points  (0 children)

            Yep I've worked in tech startups to international and.....its the same no matter where you are or what u do.

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              [–]calmatt 1 point2 points  (1 child)

              It doesn't stop the hardened thieves

              It stops the opportunistic thieves, therefore it's worthwhile

              [–]Unadvantaged 15 points16 points  (3 children)

              "Why do I need to glaze the inside of this bucket with ketchup?"

              "Because your job is to do what I tell you to do, and my job is to do what my boss tells me to do, and his boss told him we need to be ketchuping our buckets."

              [–]gorgonheap 1 point2 points  (2 children)

              I can't even begin to tell you how important ketchuping is. It's a very critical step.

              [–]kmikek 1 point2 points  (0 children)

              Remember all the problems we had prior to the preketchuping step? It was awful, no way should we go back to those dark times.

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                [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                And (ahem) don't forget to sign off for the signing off you just did.

                [–]Jobberwock 1 point2 points  (1 child)

                THIS is the current answer to surviving retail.

                [–]kmikek 1 point2 points  (1 child)

                Is this like a high priority shoplifting item? Lock them up because they're being stolen all the time?

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                  [–]HAHGoTtEm_BDNjr 43 points44 points  (16 children)

                  Boi, I’ve been a manager at a corporation for 3 weeks

                  And I’ve already said that sentence more times than I can count on all my fingers and toes

                  [–]SAGNUTZ 19 points20 points  (6 children)

                  Oh so you should be well aware of the "Peter-Principal" by now!

                  [–]HAHGoTtEm_BDNjr 6 points7 points  (3 children)

                  I havnt heard of that but I’m interested lol

                  [–]pizzasoup 26 points27 points  (2 children)

                  The gist is that everyone in an organization keeps getting promoted until they hit a point where they're too incompetent to get promoted anymore and they get stuck where they are. Put more succintly, "everyone is promoted to their highest level of incompetence."

                  [–]dWintermut3 7 points8 points  (0 children)

                  I think a better summary is "everyone is promoted one time too many" than to the highest level of incompetence.

                  good news is modern corporations have solved the problem-- they just don't promote.

                  [–]HAHGoTtEm_BDNjr 13 points14 points  (0 children)

                  Ohhh

                  Well shit bro I’m already there lol

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                      [–][deleted] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

                      Classic example of this when I worked in a supermarket - theft of spirits/champagne in some branches was super high, so profit protection got them some promo/display bottles went on the shelves instead.

                      Merchandisers found out their sales were dropping and wanted "some" stock out on the shelves anyway but said display bottles should go at the front. The stuff was promptly stolen as the thieves just moved the display bottles out of the way.

                      [–]kronden 22 points23 points  (7 children)

                      It happens in ghetto neighborhoods sadly. You know its bad when you see everyday products that you don't think people will steal locked behind plexiglass or have some lock on it. I have seen fabric softeners locked behind plexiglass. But seeing this, I did chuckle.

                      [–][deleted] 9 points10 points  (6 children)

                      Who’s stealing ferbreeze though ????

                      [–]habituallydiscarding 17 points18 points  (2 children)

                      Dope fiends will steal anything they think you may use at your house even if you only give them a couple dollars. Big containers of Tide were being taken a lot at a local store by junkies who knew they’d get like $6 for it.

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                        [–]havocmc69 4 points5 points  (1 child)

                        Finally my time to shine. Was a store manager. Usually what happens is as follows. Every week we do a report and a count on highly stolen items. If a section keeps coming up with the same items “missing” we have to take action. The problem is most stores are built differently with different types of shelving. So a lot of times they send you these security things that won’t fit with your shelves. Now you can send them back and keep trying to get different fixtures until one works or just throw that shit up in there to make your boss happy so you don’t have to keep taking time out of your day. Because usually you have 800 other things to do at that time.

                        [–]SAGNUTZ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        Preach! What i am really sick and tired of hearing is the bs that my overall inventory discrepancies, overstock on hand that will be thrown away long before selling or "shrink" is caused by "internal/external theft and unauthorized changing of shelf capacities" when i can see the fucking problem every single week.

                        The highest amount of shrink items were ALL big clusters sent from the warehouse that nobody ASKED FOR! Like wtaf?!

                        [–]overandunder_86 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        That's my go-to excuse for any policy

                        [–]just-me-uk 231 points232 points  (10 children)

                        Because everyone is wearing sandals

                        [–][deleted]  (23 children)

                        [deleted]

                          [–]Juking_is_rude 25 points26 points  (16 children)

                          The store I worked at, some guy would come in a steal the razors, like all the time. Just the razors. So the razors got put in a case that beeps really loudly when you open it. Just the razors. It seems silly but I guess it stopped the guy.

                          Granted yeah, razors are surprisingly expensive for how small they are so it makes some sense when you think about it. But still.

                          Corner stores are made up mostly of items bought or stolen from a regular grocery and then marked up. I doubt they would ever sell anything much cheaper than an actual store, since their business model is being easy to access for people in a neighborhood.

                          [–]All-StarBallsPlayer 28 points29 points  (12 children)

                          Hm. In Canada razors are locked up like this in every store. I highly doubt it was because of that guy. Its because the packages are so small compared to the price.

                          [–]sea-haze 8 points9 points  (4 children)

                          Can confirm. Those Mach 3 blades have a very high value-to-volume ratio (close to 5 bucks per razor)

                          [–]ricecracker420 6 points7 points  (2 children)

                          Any time I see how expensive disposable razors are I have to mention that Double Edge Safety Razors are a LOT cheaper in the long run. I got a cheaper razor and hundreds of blades for $40. It's been 5 years, I'm still working through the blades and it definitely shaves better

                          /r/WickedEdge is dedicated to old school razors

                          [–]Queen-Roblin 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                          And it's better for the environment because it's less plastic :)

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                              [–]Alice-Akira 5 points6 points  (1 child)

                              In my country razors are always locked up too. Since I was a kid I've always thought it was because they're dangerous and children might get hurt with it, or someone could use it to harm others (kind of like airport security). Never questioned this line of thought before, but I guess the price thing makes more sense. Thank you!

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                                  [–]awesome357 2 points3 points  (2 children)

                                  But is the lost cost of paying someone to open that cabinet 20 times a day, and the lost sales from people not wanting to bother with finding and waiting for somebody to open it up, worth the lost money from a potential theft of such a low cost item?

                                  [–]big_deal 5 points6 points  (1 child)

                                  Yep. I just commented that I used to purchase razors at a local Walmart until I found them locked up. It’s almost impossible to find help in a Walmart so there was no way I was going to put in the effort and time to get a box of razors. Now I rarely go to that store, they not only lost my razor business but everything else I used to purchase there too.

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                                    [–][deleted] 29 points30 points  (12 children)

                                    Im curious too! guess im drinking febreeze... Ill let you know if I die

                                    [–]MisterCortez 38 points39 points  (11 children)

                                    Nearly a half-hour and u/xcidex hasn't reported back about dying, so I can only assume they're lit up on that Febreezatini having a blast. I want to try it now but I only have cranberry Febreeze and brown liquor.

                                    [–]JensenRaStar06 5 points6 points  (9 children)

                                    4 hours now, I hope u/xcidex is ok.

                                    [–]BrainPharts 8 points9 points  (4 children)

                                    I'm sure u/xcidex is just enjoying smelling fresh again.

                                    [–]jenfloatedaway 7 points8 points  (3 children)

                                    He dead

                                    [–]BrainPharts 2 points3 points  (2 children)

                                    Well, maybe the body won't stink after drinking a bottle of Febreze?

                                    [–]Moderator-Admin 1 point2 points  (1 child)

                                    It will be like a long burning scented candle as Febreze slowly leaks out of his decaying corpse.

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                                        [–]jyunga 6 points7 points  (0 children)

                                        Looks like all the cleaners in general on that shelf are locked up. I'd assume people are swiping and reselling them. In some areas they are pretty hard to get.

                                        [–]wes00mertes 27 points28 points  (35 children)

                                        I’m guessing it’s related to COVID? And people think it’s a cleaning thing that will....

                                        Yeah I don’t know. I don’t get it.

                                        [–]TheWeirdPlatypus 75 points76 points  (32 children)

                                        Used to work at Walgreen’s. Only time they would typically do this is if it is a highly stolen item. Most of the time it is stuff that can be easily concealed or otherwise high value (body spray/ diabetic test strips being the most common locked up).

                                        However, we had to lock up a lot of odd things. During the height of the tide pods stupidity we had to lock up the smaller bags because they were stolen. Pokemon/MTG cards were perpetually locked up. There was the awkward time where we locked up lube.

                                        [–]luckyDucs 25 points26 points  (2 children)

                                        Oh yeah, I remember that time period. I couldn't use my prison pocket to sneak out the Arizona cans anymore.

                                        [–]Pure_Tower 7 points8 points  (0 children)

                                        Ah, the notorious Gaping Bandit, we meet at last.

                                        [–]Unadvantaged 3 points4 points  (0 children)

                                        Thank you for starting my day with a good laugh.

                                        [–]NotMilitaryAI 24 points25 points  (6 children)

                                        The fact that diabetic test strips are on the list of frequently stolen items is depressing AF.

                                        [–]Worriedrph 11 points12 points  (1 child)

                                        Don’t feel to bad. Test strips are stolen and sold to criminal enterprises who then repackage them and sell them to mom and pop retailers. By and large they are stolen because they are profitable not because people can’t afford to test their blood sugar.

                                        [–]NotMilitaryAI 13 points14 points  (0 children)

                                        There is a gray/black market for test strips, so there definitely is money to be made doing that. However, that market only exists because there are folks that are un/underinsured and can't afford the strips at retail cost ($165 for a ~10-day supply).

                                        The Strange Marketplace for Diabetes Test Strips | NYTimes

                                        ​

                                        So, I'd wager it's a bit of a mix - some folks stealing because they need it and can't afford $165 and some folks stealing it to then sell to the guy that can't afford it at $165.

                                        [–]lostspyder 7 points8 points  (3 children)

                                        Welcome to America!!!

                                        [–]A1000eisn1 22 points23 points  (16 children)

                                        Sex related items are the most stolen items at my store. Pregnancy tests #1 lube #2 and vibrating cock rings #3. Why a grocery store stocks that last one is beyond me.

                                        Always chuckle when I find an empty pregnancy test. Like good luck with that thief who can't afford $10 for a test to see if you fucked up or not. Often they'll be with other stolen sex items like condoms...

                                        [–]TravisO 14 points15 points  (10 children)

                                        Heck the Dollar Store sells a pregnancy test for $1, pretty silly thing to steal imho.

                                        [–]ben_g0 31 points32 points  (7 children)

                                        I'd imagine they get stolen not because of the price, but because they don't want to be seen buying a pregnancy test.

                                        [–]Unadvantaged 6 points7 points  (2 children)

                                        I remember the judging eyes when I bought one once, and I was 19 or 20 at the time. I can appreciate this, but then again, there's the Internet.

                                        [–]jessykatd 5 points6 points  (0 children)

                                        True, but then you have to wait a couple days for shipping. Quicker to just grab one from the store.

                                        [–]Enchelion 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                        Eh, I imagine there's plenty of kids still at home with (shitty) parents who don't want the chance of it getting noticed/seen.

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                                            [–]ApplesauceCreek 6 points7 points  (3 children)

                                            I kind of feel like people might be stealing the pregnancy tests because they're embarrassed to check out with them.

                                            [–]stallion_412 1 point2 points  (1 child)

                                            Former grocery store worker here: I couldn't give a flying fuck what you buy, and 3 minutes after you leave I'm not going to remember anyway. A flood of merchandise that crosses that belt each day.

                                            [–]A1000eisn1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                            Oh sure but it's still stealing and we have self checkouts if it was about avoiding people. I also know of several places around that provide free pregnancy tests if it was just about money.

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                                              [–]BitsAndBobs304 2 points3 points  (2 children)

                                              Yeah but spray bottles are the bulkiest and most awkward thing to bag.. unless thieves bring a bottle and pour its content in it..?

                                              [–]rydan 2 points3 points  (1 child)

                                              People are using the Febreeze in the store and then putting it back.

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                                                [–]Viperlite 5 points6 points  (1 child)

                                                I would have assumed it was locked up as a high value item or one used to make meth whose sale was restricted. I guess the theft thing makes more sense and shows I would be a terrible meth cook, lol.

                                                [–]MrsFlip 3 points4 points  (0 children)

                                                Or your meth would smell really nice.

                                                [–]ZEROvTHREE 12 points13 points  (20 children)

                                                Would you believe me if I told you it was actually "Febreze"?

                                                [–]Itsnotreallynotme 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                                It was getting stolen from this location a lot aperently

                                                [–]Ken-Popcorn 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                                They know from their inventory system what is being stolen. If an item makes the list, it gets locked up.

                                                [–]SuccSuprem0 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                                You'd be surprised what walgreens customers will steal

                                                [–][deleted]  (1 child)

                                                [deleted]

                                                  [–]spinozasrobot 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                                  Oh, it knows what it did.

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                                                    [–]FUTFUTFUTFUTFUTFUT 417 points418 points  (70 children)

                                                    Am I the only one who's confused as hell why fabric softner is behind a security screen? Do the shoplifters in that neighborhood insist on soft and gentle clothes?

                                                    [–]sushipusha 113 points114 points  (0 children)

                                                    Not fabric softener...Fabric Freshener!

                                                    [–]Watch_The_Expanse 159 points160 points  (36 children)

                                                    Typically security prevention measures are identified by items most shop lifted.

                                                    [–][deleted]  (34 children)

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                                                      [–]spyder728 115 points116 points  (21 children)

                                                      I was once a LPO in a grocery store many years ago. There was this kid and his friend stole over 40 bottles of shampoo. Those shampoo were shit AF shampoo, and were on sale on $1CAD each, so it is like 75c USD each.

                                                      They loaded up both of their backpacks, walked out of the store. I confronted them, and both of them immediately ran. I know precisely how much those were worth, I didn't even bother chase them. I just called the cops and had a laugh instead.

                                                      Like if you are going to commit theft, go steal something more valuable than 40 bottles of $1 shampoo. In Canada, you stole $40 would be charged the for the same crime as you stole $4999.

                                                      [–]mozerdozer 38 points39 points  (8 children)

                                                      Well in the US it's a bit different. Felony theft begins at 300, 500 or 750$ depending on the state so stealing below that is quite useful. The crime even drops from theft to mischief if it's under 25$.

                                                      [–]Machop93 5 points6 points  (4 children)

                                                      The police department in my area will not pursue any theft under 300 dollars. I could walk in to AutoZone, walk out with two car batteries, and nothing would be done. Crazy

                                                      [–]wnordmann 20 points21 points  (2 children)

                                                      You should steal better car batteries.

                                                      [–]dtb1987 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                                      Yeah get one really good one

                                                      [–]Machop93 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                                      Someone wants some optima batteries lol

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                                                          [–]jeffreywilfong 5 points6 points  (0 children)

                                                          Amateurs. The real power move is to steal one bottle of $40 shampoo.

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                                                            [–]RationalLies 28 points29 points  (5 children)

                                                            It's widely known in the meth community that spritzing your meth crystals with Febreeze not only provides a healthier method of injestion, it also makes your meth pipe smell like fresh linens.

                                                            A common misconception in Breaking Bad was that the methlamene made their product blue. The secret ingredient was actually concentrated Febreeze mixture.

                                                            [–][deleted] 4 points5 points  (3 children)

                                                            Fabreeze and common steroids share an ingredient, maybe that’s why? Is your town unusually swole?

                                                            [–]RationalLies 18 points19 points  (2 children)

                                                            Swole and fresh af.

                                                            And on meth.

                                                            And let me tell ya, you don't wanna get your ass kicked by a tweaker who can bench 290 lbs and smells of fresh linens. It's confusing.

                                                            [–]CyberMcGyver 3 points4 points  (0 children)

                                                            Dude I hope I'm just early - but this shit is underrated. Had me gasping and my eyes rolling out of my head like I was on the shard.

                                                            You smell like my mum, but you hit like my dad!

                                                            Shame I don't smell as nice.

                                                            [–]5Gmeme 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                                            This guy meths

                                                            [–]Watch_The_Expanse 11 points12 points  (0 children)

                                                            Your guess is as good as mine. Lol.

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                                                                [–]hat-of-sky 40 points41 points  (6 children)

                                                                Febreze is not fabric softener, it's an odor remover that can be used on fabrics you don't generally wash, like sofas.

                                                                I have a guess that the Lysol would be up there too, when they have any in stock. It removes odors too, but unlike Febreze it kills germs.

                                                                [–]WapaneseWeeaboo 12 points13 points  (16 children)

                                                                Stuff like this, laundry detergent, and soap are often high theft items because they have crazy resell value on 3rd party markets (like Facebook marketplace).

                                                                [–]stealingbiscuits 7 points8 points  (14 children)

                                                                But... Why? Is it because people who shop on Facebook marketplace are too stupid to figure out how to get past the plastic screen in the shop?

                                                                [–]WapaneseWeeaboo 10 points11 points  (11 children)

                                                                Some thieves literally make a job out of stealing and reselling merchandise, or various other ways to make money off stolen things. Money is one hell of a motivator.

                                                                The video isn’t the norm. Most places have the merchandise they want locked up, properly locked up. This is just poor execution on the store’s end.

                                                                [–]olderaccount 3 points4 points  (9 children)

                                                                How much can you be making out of stealing and reselling Fabreeze? Unless you are stealing it by the case load from the back, the amount of time it would take to steal, list, sell and complete the transaction probably adds up to less than minimum wage.

                                                                [–]Cjwovo 2 points3 points  (8 children)

                                                                No one is trying to get rich doing this. They are trying to buy their next meal or next fix. Less than min wage is enough.

                                                                [–]olderaccount 2 points3 points  (7 children)

                                                                I can't wrap my head around this mentality. It's crazy how a huge segment of our population has no forethought or do any planning for their future.

                                                                I work at factory that employees a lot of low-pay general labor. We have a phenomenon called the tax-return flu. It seems a lot of our employees, when they run into a little money, simply stop working until that money runs out and they can no longer afford to eat before going back to work. They live strictly in the now.

                                                                I'm the polar opposite. Almost every one of my actions have an eye to my long term goals. I have enough saved up where I could stop working for years. But I still work everyday because I don't want to be destitute if I make it to 80+.

                                                                [–]Cjwovo 2 points3 points  (6 children)

                                                                People hate working. It's pretty simple.

                                                                [–]olderaccount 2 points3 points  (5 children)

                                                                But people who can look past today realize they are going to hate working even more when they are old and weak. I don't understand living your life one day at a time without worry about tomorrow.

                                                                I little effort today can save so much effort tomorrow.

                                                                [–]Cjwovo 2 points3 points  (4 children)

                                                                Because worrying about tomorrow causes worry paralysis/fear/anxiety. At some point, you have to take it day by day to enjoy life. You sound very privileged. Try to gain some perspective on how the poor live.

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                                                                  [–]BitsAndBobs304 3 points4 points  (0 children)

                                                                  Because some people are ok with risking being caught stealing just to steal small stuff to sell, and others dont want to get caught stealing, but are okay with buying stolen items for cheaper.

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                                                                        [–]FoxTenson 251 points252 points  (31 children)

                                                                        Since its being asked a lot why these are behind security, I actually know the reason! In some areas of the country where flea markets are common, like Florida, couponers and flea market stall owners will buy out ALL the stock while on sale then re-sell it. Walgreens protects these to give customers a fair shot and because of liability if someone buys faulty product at a flea market or road sale and ends up hurt because the owner doesn't care. They even have signs up at the local walgreens sometimes about this, and asking to report those reselling the product without permission.

                                                                        [–]numanoid 70 points71 points  (5 children)

                                                                        Wouldn't a maximum purchase quantity have the same effect?

                                                                        [–]olderaccount 42 points43 points  (3 children)

                                                                        You'd be surprised at how much you can accomplish by simply making something less convenient.

                                                                        They could try to enforce the maximum quantity. But then these people come in groups and split the quantity between them.

                                                                        By making it inconvenient, they will go to the grocery store down the street instead of your store. Meanwhile the person that was already shopping at your store but also needs a bottle of Fabreeze can still get it.

                                                                        [–]PurpleTeamApprentice 2 points3 points  (1 child)

                                                                        I’m not saying you’re wrong, but if I was already there and wanted that I wouldn’t bother with the inconvenience of looking for someone and asking them to get someone to get it for me and waiting, etc. I would just get it somewhere that didn’t lock it up like that. The only exception I can think of is if I was there for a prescription and was waiting for it to be filled anyway.

                                                                        [–]olderaccount 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                                                        Maybe you are the kind of person who would take an extra 10 minutes to go to a different store rather than taking 2 minutes to get this one. The store is aware that your type exists. But they decided it is still in their best interest to take this route.

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                                                                          [–]FoxTenson 29 points30 points  (0 children)

                                                                          The folks that swarm to resell tend to come in large groups, grab, and rush registers. Having them under lock provides some deterrent and allows employees to spot it faster. I mean, you aren't wrong, its just additional annoyance to try to deter a few.

                                                                          [–]wes00mertes 15 points16 points  (9 children)

                                                                          So it’s locked up because it’s currently available at a discount?

                                                                          [–]FoxTenson 10 points11 points  (7 children)

                                                                          Mostly, its a strange thing you see at like, the Kissimmee markets with tons of these items for sale, all with walgreens or cvs stickers. Its a cat and mouse game they are always trying to win, a very strange one.

                                                                          [–]Nimoodles 6 points7 points  (1 child)

                                                                          That's such a specific insight! My grandma (from Kissimmee !!) ALWAYS has thousands of dollar's worth for things like this in a dedicated room. She usually hands them out by the handfuls for Christmas presents (and I love it).

                                                                          [–]CyberMcGyver 8 points9 points  (4 children)

                                                                          Its a cat and mouse game they are always trying to win

                                                                          BUY OUR PRODUCTS!

                                                                          ...

                                                                          STOP BUYING OUR PRODUCTS!

                                                                          Man America is weird.

                                                                          [–]olderaccount 5 points6 points  (0 children)

                                                                          Retail is a weird game. Companies want each customer to pay the most they are willing to for a product. Seems like you would simply set the price high enough to do this. but they don't want to lose the sale to people who still want the product, just not willing to pay that much. So this gets them into a rabbit hole of promotions, discounts coupons. It is a lot more complicated than store buys product for x and sells it for Y making a profit.

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                                                                            [–]Rinaldi363 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                                                                            Seems weird. Like pick a random product and buy out every single store of it and try to re-sell it? I just don’t see the demand for fabreze being that high. If it was sold out I would just get something else or go somewhere else. And I’m sure fabreze has no shortage and can just restock their customers quickly.... so bizarre

                                                                            [–]Program-Sad 6 points7 points  (2 children)

                                                                            I worked as an assistant manager at Walgreens in college when the initial swath of these devices went into stores. At the time, I’m not sure today as it’s been nearly 20 years, it was to combat organized theft rings who would steal and re-sell.

                                                                            Shelf dividers/pushers eliminate shelf sweeping. Slowing down a thief is the next best thing to stopping them. The average customer doesn’t need 10 packs of razor refill cartridges— a system that limits retrieval to one at a time isn’t a huge inconvenience. At least that was the thinking.

                                                                            The box here, while silly, yields a similar benefit for a product that isn’t as easily dispensed in small quantity. Even open at the back, it would likely slow down a thief. I’m sure it’s a pain in the ass for employees though.

                                                                            I’d anticipate, since these devices are prevalent everywhere you shop now, that they yield enough positive effect to justify the cost and inconvenience to regular customers.

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                                                                              [–]vinteragony 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                                                                              Exactly.. these same items will have a small sticker on them with a phone number to call if you didn't buy the item at Walgreens to report it

                                                                              [–]BitsAndBobs304 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                                                              How big is the price sale and how many are available to buy to make this worth it?

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                                                                                [–]CityEggs 53 points54 points  (6 children)

                                                                                My guess:

                                                                                It's locked up so people don't spray themselves then put the bottle back on the shelves.

                                                                                Think about it. It's 9:30, you smell like bad weed and badder skanks; you go the wall greens but you spent all your money on diet Shasta. you know if you go home smelling like this your dad's going to beat you for an hour so what do you do? you take a bottle of febreze off the shelf you just hose yourself down and then you put it back before anyone notices. The perfect crime.

                                                                                [–][deleted]  (3 children)

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                                                                                  [–]rydan 2 points3 points  (1 child)

                                                                                  OP is actually located in Florida (see other posts pointing this out). That's why people are using it.

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                                                                                      [–]jabba-du-hutt 9 points10 points  (7 children)

                                                                                      For some reason this reminds me of this article: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/walmart-s-practice-locking-black-beauty-products-some-stores-raises-n967206

                                                                                      [–]Rogan403 17 points18 points  (5 children)

                                                                                      I don't know how to react to this really. On one hand it's kinda shitty to do that but on the other hand if the data actually backs up the claim then it's equally shitty that people are stealing it all the time and the company has a right to protect their investments.

                                                                                      [–]purdu 10 points11 points  (3 children)

                                                                                      I fall on the data driven side of this. When I worked retail all shrink was tracked and items that had the highest shrink were always identified and subject to additional scrutiny. From the business side though there comes a point where the bad press is more expensive that losing a few hundred dollars of shampoo each month.

                                                                                      [–]Rogan403 1 point2 points  (2 children)

                                                                                      What I don't get is why didn't the specific Walmart just either put all the hair products behind glass or just show the data that they get stolen the most to prove its not racially motivated

                                                                                      [–]purdu 1 point2 points  (1 child)

                                                                                      From my reading of the article it looks like Walmart did try to explain it was all data driven but people still felt discriminated against anyway. Especially because one of the women said she was escorted to the front of the store with the hair products. Really not good optics, the locked case helps prevent crimes of opportunity enough that they probably didn't also need to walk someone up front like it was valuable electronics.

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                                                                                          [–]TheV2Guy 13 points14 points  (4 children)

                                                                                          Small people hate this trick.

                                                                                          [–]vickyocampo 5 points6 points  (3 children)

                                                                                          My short ass could never

                                                                                          [–]lowery007[S] 1 point2 points  (2 children)

                                                                                          I’m actually only 5’8”; not super short, but a bit short nonetheless.

                                                                                          [–]OhNoImBanned11 4 points5 points  (0 children)

                                                                                          Now imagine doing it while you're 5'1

                                                                                          short thieves don't stand a chance!

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                                                                                            [–]ZeroAfro 6 points7 points  (0 children)

                                                                                            We did this sort of thing a lot when I worked at walgreens (main thing was baby formula), we had a lot of flea markets and second hand shops.

                                                                                            They buy these or more often actually steal them then sell them for a profit. We did this with a few things so that everyone could buy it and a few shitty people wouldnt prevent you from your baby formula by stealing it.

                                                                                            Those plastic boxes are meant to go inside a shelve and secure in so the box is blocked by the box of the shelve. Not sure why its up there but my guess is the store's shelving plan from corporate has the febreeze up top and instead of trying to change it the store went with it. Might be the store manager wanted it up there and figured that's enough to stop most people.

                                                                                            [–]BaronBifford 6 points7 points  (1 child)

                                                                                            "This is the Lockpicking Lawyer and today I'm going to show you what I think is an inexcusable failure in security design..."

                                                                                            [–]leto78 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                                                                            I came here for this comment!

                                                                                            [–]putyalightersup 3 points4 points  (2 children)

                                                                                            I’m more concerned with why Febreeze was in the case to start with? I’m guessing where you live was having a Febreeze theft problem, you got nice calculators right there!

                                                                                            [–][deleted] 25 points26 points  (10 children)

                                                                                            Microsoft Windows' security be like:

                                                                                            [–]FrighteningJibber 11 points12 points  (0 children)

                                                                                            “I’m a virgin; go through my back door?”

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                                                                                              [–]hospitalizedGanny 16 points17 points  (0 children)

                                                                                              What is febreeze? wipes cheetos dust fingers on comforter

                                                                                              [–]Skorpius202 3 points4 points  (0 children)

                                                                                              Benefits of being tall

                                                                                              [–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

                                                                                              Client side validation

                                                                                              [–]Antennae89 3 points4 points  (0 children)

                                                                                              Hey that sides for restocking only!

                                                                                              [–]BoreDominated 5 points6 points  (0 children)

                                                                                              That's some 400 IQ shit right there.

                                                                                              [–]SAGNUTZ 6 points7 points  (0 children)

                                                                                              Retail worker here, i hate this kinda shit more than life itself! We are all collateral damage caused by some peter-principal initiate upstairs trying to justify their worthless existence.

                                                                                              [–]bettsdude 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                                                                                              Yer but we live in 2020 so the stupidity level is as equal to the security level. Most people won't get past this like you and a handful of others

                                                                                              [–]publicbigguns 2 points3 points  (1 child)

                                                                                              Locks only keep honest people out.

                                                                                              [–]bmewsd 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                                                                                              Not gonna lie, I thought he was just going to go into the next aisle and pick up a gun

                                                                                              [–]crotch-masseuse 2 points3 points  (1 child)

                                                                                              Febreeze? They must keep the razors in a fuckin safe.

                                                                                              Edit - Is there a reason? Can you huff that shit or use it to make meth?

                                                                                              [–]rydan 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                                                                              You can spray it to cover up the meth smell before your Tinder date.

                                                                                              [–]Ghostbuster_119 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                                                                                              Security theater.

                                                                                              Stop looking behind the curtain if you want it to make you feel safe.

                                                                                              [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                                                                                              Why would Febreeze be secured?

                                                                                              [–]TheDudeMachine 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                                                                                              I was a Walgreens store manager for about 5 years. The decision to do this probably came from the district loss prevention director, who looks at loss metrics for every store in the district. You can drill down into very specific categories of merchandise to identify what gets stolen the most. This is probably a very high loss store, and so unfortunately a lot of items that get locked up would seem odd to the typical customer.

                                                                                              I never worked in a high loss store, so about the only thing that stayed locked up was the perfumes. I helped a few other stores get set up during my time. One of the stores was being built in a very high loss area, and we were having to lock up everything. Vitamins, detergent, diapers, you name it, it got locked up. What a nightmare it must be to work in one of those stores.

                                                                                              [–]throwawayoregon81 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                                                                                              Now I know why girls ask for men 6ft or taller.

                                                                                              [–]big_deal 2 points3 points  (1 child)

                                                                                              A few years ago I tried to buy razor blades they were locked up behind glass. I had the option of trying to find someone to unlock the razor jail or ordering from Amazon and having them delivered to my house. I haven’t purchased razors in a store ever since.

                                                                                              [–]HumbleAdonis 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                                                                              Dollar Shave Club is the shit.

                                                                                              [–]Hades331 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                                                                                              Who. The. Fuck. Locks. Up. Febreeze...

                                                                                              [–]AaronElsewhere 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                                                                                              Hi store associate, I'd like to discuss with you my desire to purchase personal lubricant. Please escort me in silence to the case so you may unlock it. Yes, I'm ready to checkout, lets walk in more awkward silence to the register up front.

                                                                                              [–]not_a_droid 2 points3 points  (1 child)

                                                                                              people are stealing febreeze?

                                                                                              [–]DMN666 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                                                                              People will steal anything

                                                                                              [–]BopBangBeep 8 points9 points  (0 children)

                                                                                              So people be out here stealing $2.99 fabreeze now??

                                                                                              [–]maluminse 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                                                                              Hide smell of pot and alcohol by kids...

                                                                                              [–]EvoMonster 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                                                                              This is perfect, it only stops the idiots who were thinking of stealing it, not the people who actually want to buy it

                                                                                              [–]Iwillsaythisthough 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                                                                              Perhaps it's time to move from the suburb that needs to lockup cleaning products.

                                                                                              [–]GunMetalGazm 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                                                                              Must be a ghetto area to have to lock up febreeze.

                                                                                              [–]AbsoluteGODman 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                                                                              Nice Sandals

                                                                                              [–]me40k 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                                                                              hey, it still works against short people.

                                                                                              [–]blueflamestudio 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                                                                              That many people steal febreeze???

                                                                                              [–]WolfOfMaine 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                                                                              You want funny security?

                                                                                              My local walmart locks up the $1 per bag of 5 razors up behind a plexi door.

                                                                                              But you can grab the refills for the Schlick Quatro reusable, which are 35 fucking dollars each, right off a hook, and those fuckers fit in your pocket.

                                                                                              Not proud of this, but when i was homeless, broke, and out of work for a back injury, i got snagged for stealing one, its how my mom found i was living out of my truck...

                                                                                              [–]debbieae 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                                                                              Lol.

                                                                                              We have a similar situation at my job.

                                                                                              The elevator will not go to the upper floors without a card designating you are an employee. There is a weird situation with ground level though. We have a gound level and lower level due to the building being on a small hill. The lower level elevators are behind a security door, but the elevator will go to the lower level without a key card.

                                                                                              I am still trying to figure out why the security was needed in the first place since there is very little secured except the elevator. But it is double confusing since anyone can walk in off the street and get into that area by taking the elevator down from the ground floor. Sigh.

                                                                                              [–]roosterchains 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                                                                              Lol, this is like skyrim bucket over the head exploit level of stupid.

                                                                                              [–]sharkbite123 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                                                                              This reminds me of when people lock their bikes to open posts etc - makes me want to lift the bike +lock over the post and just leave it there so when they get back they are confused and realize how they fucked up 😂

                                                                                              [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                                                                              $2.99 and it's locked up?

                                                                                              [–]havocmc69 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                                                                              That does happen. For me it wasn’t so much as so. I worked in really bad areas of my city and so I always had a high shrink. It was mostly external theft. The problem was the company didn’t want you to deal with theft directly. They wanted you to build these stupid ass plastic cabins that made it harder for actual paying customers to buy from, like the gentleman in the video.

                                                                                              [–]BillsBayou 2 points3 points  (2 children)

                                                                                              Fucking Fabreeze huffers are ruining it for all of us.

                                                                                              [–]maluminse 3 points4 points  (0 children)

                                                                                              Why does fabric softener have extra security?

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