Theft protection in US drugstores: Phone makes products accessible behind glass
Chains like CVS and Walgreens suffered from theft attacks for years, that's why many products are additionally protected. With iPhones, it'll soon be your turn.
A branch of CVS, here in Miami.
(Image: Deutschlandreform / Shutterstock)
Shoplifting problems have been increasing in the USA for years – Supermarkets and the ubiquitous drugstores with integrated pharmacies are particularly affected. This has recently led to more and more expensive products disappearing behind locked Plexiglas display cases, be it detergent, shaving foam or sleeping pills. To shop here, you always have to call the store staff to check that you are a legitimate customer – and then the protective containers are opened using an NFC key. The shopping experience is thus decimated and, above all, takes longer. One of the major US drugstore chains now wants to counteract this: At CVS, you will be able to access the display cases yourself in the future, with the help of smartphones.
Open the display case yourself
As the Wall Street Journal reports, the new technology is now being tested in the first stores following the introduction of a revised version of the CVS app. However, there are a few prerequisites: “Users must be logged in, connect to the local store's Wi-Fi and have Bluetooth enabled on their device to activate the feature,” it said. A total of three CVS stores nationwide are in the pilot phase, with up to 10 to 15 to be added in a further step. All stores will then follow, according to the manager responsible, Tilak Mandadi, who heads the “Ventures” division and is Head of Digital. There are over 9000 CVS stores in the USA.
Videos by heise
Opening the showcases by registered app users should ensure that the function is not exploited by thieves. In addition to the iPhone, selected Android devices are also supported. It is now “possible to use the app – which is being tested in a handful of stores – to open locked display cases and thus facilitate access to goods”, writes CVS.
Manager comes from the tourism industry
Mandadi, who himself comes from a tourism background and has worked at MGM Resorts and Disney Parks, among others, emphasized to the Wall Street Journal that he is “always concerned with the customer experience”. He is constantly asking himself how to “optimize the convenience for the customer and take the stress and guesswork out of it”.
In fact, many customers currently spend their time in a CVS store searching for employees to open the display cases, which in turn means that they cannot do their actual job in the checkout area or restocking the shelves. However, the app is also intended to provide the company with even more data about customers, as it also offers discounts.
Empfohlener redaktioneller Inhalt
Mit Ihrer Zustimmung wird hier ein externer Preisvergleich (heise Preisvergleich) geladen.
Ich bin damit einverstanden, dass mir externe Inhalte angezeigt werden. Damit können personenbezogene Daten an Drittplattformen (heise Preisvergleich) übermittelt werden. Mehr dazu in unserer Datenschutzerklärung.
(bsc)
