Walgreens Opens New ‘Anti-Theft’ Store With Every Item Held Behind Protective Cases And Kiosks Except Only Two Aisles Of Tangible Merchandise

Due to high crime rates in Chicago, Illinois, the pharmaceutical chain has now reopened a new location where most of the items are locked away behind anti-theft cases or a digital kiosk, save only two aisles that have snacks and a random assortment of common goods.

CWB Chicago reports: ‘In what was once a typical Walgreens, there are now just two short aisles of so-called “essentials” where “customers may shop for themselves.” If you want anything else—a bottle of booze, a deodorant brand deemed “non-essential”—you’ll need to order it at a kiosk and pick it up at the counter.’

The store opened last Tuesday, May 30th. The pharmacy is located in the back of the store as usual, but has been reduced to a kiosk that an employee will have to teach customers how to use. The so-called “essential” shelves themselves are also shorter than normal ones, standing no taller than 5 feet high, allowing staff to better monitor the customer to prevent shoplifting and petty theft.

The non-essentials must be ordered at the kiosks and then retrieved at the front counter.

Journalists for CWB Chicago visited this revamped location, finding that two employees were in charge of the “shop for yourself” department. ‘But if you want anything other than the very basic of basics, you’ll need to use one of the iPad-like “kiosks,” where a sign invites you to “Let us do the shopping” from the store’s “full selection,”‘ the outlet reports.

Once the order was placed, a sign next to the computer instructs customers to “relax while we shop for you.” When your order is complete, shoppers can then head over to pickup/FedEx/Western Union counter to claim the items.

The reporters say their experience was “weird.” One of the reporters tried to buy a Coke for $1.89 or two for $3, but was charged $2.89 for the one. Attendants had to come over and override the problem.

A spokesperson for Walgreens said in a statement that Walgreens is “testing a new experience at this store with new concepts, technologies, and practices to enhance the experiences of our customers and team members.”

It will continue to offer retail products and pharmacy services, just with a new look and feel that focuses on shopping digitally for convenience. Inside the store, customers will find an area where they can pick-up orders, digital kiosks for placing an order, as well as an area to shop for essential items.

The spokesperson explained

A customer in the local area reached out to the corporate offices of Walgreens inquiring if this particular location was shuttered after it was close for remodeling. Walgreens replied with an answer and that customer passed on the email to CWB Chicago. It read:

[The store was] undergoing a remodeling effort for Walgreens to test new concepts, technologies and practices aimed at bringing the community a greater convenience and safety for our customers, patients and team members.

This redesigned store will have the latest in e-commerce offerings to increase customer service, mitigate theft and increase safety for customers and employees—all the while, continuing to have a full service pharmacy for our patients.

[The store will have] a new look and feel, focused on getting customers to place orders ahead of time digitally at Walgreens.com or in the Walgreens app for in-store Pickup. Customers who don’t place an order in advance will still be able to order in-store by placing orders from our kiosks—with Walgreens team members available to offer assistance.

[It will] include an ‘Essentials’ area where customers may shop for themselves from a selection of essential and convenience items.

We are targeting re-opening the full store Memorial Day weekend.

The response read

However, ‘After this story was published, a Walgreens spokesperson told CWBChicago that she is the only person authorized to speak about the new store and she did not create the letter that our reader received. On Friday, the spokesperson said the letter “was not sent from Walgreens to a customer,’ the outlet wrote.

As crime and thievery continues to grow across the United States, more businesses are implementing the same concept by locking up a variety of items behind security tags and anti-theft cases. In April a video surfaced on TikTok that showed a San Francisco Target with entire aisles behind anti-theft lockers.

SEE: Station Owner Hires Private Agents And Armed Guards To Protect His Business

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AUTHOR COMMENTARY

Make a chain: for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence.

Ezekiel 7:23

Welcome to the new America and welcome to the new shopping experience coming to a town near you. Soon enough the few staff that are working at these places will be fired and replaced with AI and robots, and everything we be behind a kiosk and anti-theft counter.

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[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).

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