Walmart customers ‘give up’ as US-wide policy means shoppers face a 40-minute wait

Walmart customers have been forced to wait extended periods to pick up items they have planned to purchase from stores thanks to a new policy.
The country’s biggest retailer, alongside other stores such as CVS and Target, uses glass casing to prevent products from being stolen.
When someone wants to buy an item, they have to ask a store clerk to remove the product from its casing.
Recently, an investigation by Inside Edition looked into how shoppers were having to wait to collect their items.
Depending on the store, some customers may have to wait as long as 40 minutes to make their purchase.
Read more… Black Friday 2023 date – when shoppers can bag the season’s best deals
As part of the investigation, waiting times at five Targets, five Walmarts, and five CVS stores were recorded.
Through the anti-theft policy, shelves are covered with clear glass or plastic doors and flaps that need a key to be opened.
In order to remove this glass, consumers need to press a button near the aisle they are shopping in.
At that point, a member of staff will come over to unlock the glass doors for them but this could take a period of time.
During Inside Editon’s investigation, the video revealed rows of baby formula, razors, and cleaning products secured by the glass.
In one Target store, the host of the program waited seven minutes to pay toothpaste after calling for help three times.
However, in one CVS store, the investigators only had to wait 30 seconds to buy body wash and razors.
The longest wait came from a Walmart store in New Jersey which lasted for 40 minutes to pick up three items.
To begin, Inside Editon waited 15 minutes for a staff member to retrieve baby formula and received an apology from the store manager.
However, they also had to wait an extra 24 minutes to buy an electric toothbrush and another item before they were able to reach the checkout.
Consumers reacted to the investigation and shared their own experiences of waiting times.
One shopper shared: “I ended up waiting about 30-40 minutes and I just kind of gave up.” Another consumer added: “It could be discouraging to a customer.”