A SHOPPER has been left baffled by some measures retailers have rolled out to combat theft.
The customer accused a grocer of being cheap in its approach to tackling shoplifting offenses.
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He also compared an experience at another grocery store to being at Costco.
“Why are there so many barriers?” Nathan Keller (@nathan_P44) posted on X, formerly Twitter.
“I think they are just being cheap.”
“Canadian Tire in Saskatoon tried to ask for my receipt like we were at Costco,” he claimed.
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He responded to a social media picture taken inside a Loblaws store that showed plexiglass panels attached to the railing.
Keller said he didn’t show his receipt and walked out of the store.
Loblaws recently hit the headlines after receipt scanners were trialed in a select number of stores.
A Loblaws spokesperson previously told The U.S. Sun receipt scanners were introduced to try and combat theft.
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“To protect customers and colleagues, we’re always looking at different ways to stop this theft. This pilot is a part of these efforts,” they said.
Shopper Jonathan Hayes said the gates have created additional chaos.
'I've got nothing to hide!' says shopper backing receipt check measure - but others vow to boycott stores over practice
"You had some people, especially a lot of elderly folks, were completely unaware this was a new thing, and were just pushing their carts through the closed gate," he told CBC.
"It would trigger alarms. There were alarms going off maybe every one to two minutes."
It comes as furious shoppers have clubbed together to call for a boycott of Loblaws for the entire month of May.
Some have felt embarrassed when they've been asked to show their receipts.
Receipt checks are common at wholesalers such as Costco and Sam’s Club.
The inspection is one of the retailer’s general policies under its membership privileges category.
Top 5 receipt checking tips from a lawyer
Camron Dowlatshahi, a Los Angeles attorney, spoke to The U.S. Sun about receipt checks and customer's rights and options when it came to being asked to show your receipt.
- There has been a lot of debate around the legality of a retailer asking to see your receipt, but if it is within the store, it is completely legal. “There’s seemingly nothing illegal about that. You’re still on the company’s premises and their reason to do it is to prevent thefts,” Dowlatshahi confirms.
- However, if they are chasing you out of the store, that changes things, Dowlatshahi said. "Location matters," he explained. "If you’re outside of the store you’re in the parking lot and they come and start accusing you of theft and that you have to show your receipt, I think that's a bit of a different situation because now you're on your way."
- While customers are allowed to say no to receipt checks, it may cause issues if you do and the store suspects you of stealing. "You can say no, maybe it creates an unnecessary hassle for yourself because now you may have the police come to your house and follow up," said Dowlatshahi.
- If you are being barred from leaving a store because you refused a receipt check, you could have a legal case — but the store must have held you for a long time. “Let's say it’s for hours, that's certainly false imprisonment, and they didn't have any impetus for doing so," Dowlatshahi explained. "If a customer has been emotionally traumatized by being held for false imprisonment, I would definitely encourage [them] to sue.”
- “I would say, show your receipt," he concluded. "It’s just a really simple thing to do. If you didn’t steal anything, it’s relatively simple to do,” the lawyer advised.
Workers must ensure members have been properly charged for goods and receipts will be inspected.
Costco has warned memberships can be canceled without cause.
The chain also says it has the right to inspect any bag that shoppers bring into a warehouse.
Sam’s Club workers also check members’ receipts but physical inspections will soon be a thing of the past.
This is because the chain is working to expedite the process, benefiting shoppers and staffers.
TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE
Earlier this year, top execs announced technology was being trialed at select locations, but they hope this new system will be rolled out more widely by the end of the year.
The technology has been rolled out at 120 stores nationwide, per Tech Crunch.
Shoppers walk through a scanner and cameras verify the items that have been bought.
It means customers do not have to wait in line for a worker to become free.
Bosses have claimed the technology has resulted in shoppers leaving warehouses 23% faster.
Chiefs are working tirelessly to roll out the new system across all 600 warehouses.
While receipt checks are common at membership clubs, it appears the inspections have started to creep in at other stores.
Some shoppers have been offended when a Walmart greeter asks to see their receipt.
It has sparked some to share their strategies when it comes to bypassing the inspections.
One Walmart shopper claimed they pretended they were on their cell phone while others said they ignored the worker’s request.
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Some have even boasted that they’ve managed to bypass the pesky receipt check 100% of the time.
The U.S. Sun has approached Loblaws for comment.
