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Retailers increasingly locking up goods -- even toothpaste

Photo by istock.com

August 11, 2022

Retailers are locking up more products in cages and cases due to increased in-store theft.

At one time the locked away items were typically pharmaceuticals and high-priced items. Now it's everything from toothpaste to candy, according to a CNN report.

The theft issue revolves around organized crime rings that are stealing items to sell online.

The move is also likely to discourage consumer shopping and is proving annoying to consumers.

"It's extremely discouraging to customers," Paco Underhill, founder and CEO of behavioral research and consulting firm Envirosell, told CNN. "It is a brutal experience for the merchant, too."