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Walmart - DVDs under lock and key

Old 12-30-03, 07:26 PM
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Walmart - DVDs under lock and key

So I have to ask. I have about 4 Walmarts in a very close range of my house. I've been to all 4 at various times and always noticed that they kept their new DVDs under lock and key in three of them. The fourth one (which is the one I go to) just started doing this recently. The employees didn't really seem to know why, but I'm curious why they do this. Not being able to go pick something up off the shelf has to hurt sales.
Old 12-30-03, 10:14 PM
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Re: Walmart - DVDs under lock and key

Originally posted by Jericho
Not being able to go pick something up off the shelf has to hurt sales.
I don't think so. Most of the stores around here do the same with video games but about 25% of them don't. When I either know what I want or if I just want to look through stuff to buy, I go to whatever store is cheapest, not whichever store keeps the stuff unlocked.
Old 12-30-03, 10:59 PM
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Well my thinking is that this Walmart used to have all the newer stuff on one shelf, right near the checkout. Plus they'd usually have those big cardboard stands for whatever hit movie was coming out that week, you couldn't miss it. Now the space is filled with old DVDs and VHS tapes.

Yeah, video games are locked up, but they're also righ there. But the new DVDs are stuck in a glass cabinet a couple aisles over and out of the main flow of traffic. There's no sign or even price tag on the case, and unless you know what to ask for, you might not even know they have it (as many DVDs aren't even on the shelf, but instead just in boxes behind the register). It just seems unlikelyyou'd get many walk-up sales on that sort of thing.
Old 12-31-03, 12:46 AM
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The stores that you are visiting are perhaps experiencing high rates of shrink and have been directed to start locking up their higher priced electronic merchandise.
Old 12-31-03, 02:20 AM
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My walmart used to put every Dvd in a locked glass thing and you had to find an employee if you wanted one but that was probably over 3 years ago. Now they are just on an open shelf. The Kmart that is near me still locks them up though.
Old 12-31-03, 08:36 AM
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A Walmart near me locks up most of the DVD's....but not the box sets. Does that make any sense?
Old 12-31-03, 09:17 AM
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Originally posted by cdollaz
A Walmart near me locks up most of the DVD's....but not the box sets. Does that make any sense?
My local WalMart has more sale dvds in bins and racks than the ones that are locked up. Clearly they don't want to sell the ones behind the glass.
Old 12-31-03, 09:39 AM
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Well, once they lock them up, it's much easier to just leave them there.
I can kinda see that for video games and accessories [my WalMarts lock those up], but DVD's? Most of the dvd's are less than twenty bucks. My local WM's have them on big shelves. They are near a register, but you dont have to buy them there, and the register doesn't face the shelves.
Old 12-31-03, 09:53 AM
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I thought Walmart only sold walls and stuff??
Old 12-31-03, 01:16 PM
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Originally posted by unbeeleebable
I thought Walmart only sold walls and stuff??
Paris Hilton strikes again!
Old 12-31-03, 05:08 PM
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At my wal-mart they lock up items that are at a high risk of being stolen (by shoppers and employees). The dvd's may only cost 14-24 bucks, but a bunch of those stolen really adds up. You would be amazed at how many empty cases of the $5.88 dvd's I find when I'm stocking overnights. Once I was stocking the pets department and found about $400-$700 (about $200 of that being dvd's) worth of stolen electronics stuck behind dogfood. It is amazing how industrious shoplifters are nowadays. Personally I hate that everything is locked up and makes browsing a pain in the ass, but wal-mart is a major shoplifting targer.
Old 12-31-03, 08:38 PM
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I would think that shoplifting is a concern, but I've never seen Target lock up DVDs and they're the same kind of store. Plus the ironic thing is, I can't buy the new release DVDs without getting them unlocked (usually around $15), but I can pick many $15 DVDs off the racks. Granted, these are the new hot sellers, but it's still stealable merchandise.
Old 01-01-04, 01:07 AM
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You guys must live in some bad areas, because I have never seen games or dvd's locked up in any Walmart, Target, Kmart (well actually I don't think I have ever stepped foot in a Kmart, so never mind), Best Buy or Circuit City that I've been in. I feel for you guys.
Old 01-01-04, 02:29 AM
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For $50 video games, it makes a little more sense to lock them up. For $20 DVD's it's a little stupid.

K-Mart does this with their DVD's, and due to this, as well as the fact that they have horrible selection, I've never bought a DVD there.

I don't like having to ask an employee anything when I shop. If I can't just grab it, I'm not going to buy it there. Maybe if it's a computer or a piece of hardware or something, but a DVD I can pick up elsewhere?

If it's locked up, or not on the shelf, I'll get it someplace else.
Old 01-01-04, 07:17 AM
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I agree that if it's not on the shelf people are likely to just move on (me included). But if it's just locked up it seems easier to just say "I'd like to buy that DVD" than to get in your car and drive somewhere else to buy it.

Our Walmart doesn't lock any DVDs up but it wouldn't make me shop elsewhere if they did.

If it keeps people from stealing them it ultimately keeps the price lower.
Old 01-01-04, 02:57 PM
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The Walmart near me has every one of their DVDs locked up except for GIGLI.
Old 01-01-04, 04:05 PM
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Originally posted by Perkinsun Dzees
The Walmart near me has every one of their DVDs locked up except for GIGLI.


Unfortunately for them, I don't think they can report a theft as "sales"...

Our DVD's are all out free for the taking, but the video games are behind a glass shield. I think it's a total turn off; I never look at the games in WalMart since I can't pick them up, turn them over and look at the BACK - stupid.

Why do stores insist on thinking the worst of their customers?

Oh wait... it's WALMART... never mind...
Old 01-01-04, 10:42 PM
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Originally posted by dvde
You guys must live in some bad areas, because I have never seen games or dvd's locked up in any Walmart, Target, Kmart (well actually I don't think I have ever stepped foot in a Kmart, so never mind), Best Buy or Circuit City that I've been in. I feel for you guys.
Ironically, I live in one of the richer counties in America, so I have no idea why it is they are locked up
Old 01-02-04, 05:29 PM
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Excuse me, I'd like to purchase Gigli, can you kindly get it for me?
Old 01-06-04, 12:50 PM
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The Wal-Marts here only keep their games under lock and key.
Old 01-07-04, 07:47 AM
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The Walmart in Fairlakes, VA has DVDs out in the open as does the new one in Burke, VA. The WM in Kingstowne has them under lock and key and they generally have the highest DVD prices out of the 3 in my area.
Old 01-07-04, 12:02 PM
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Originally posted by TheKing
For $20 DVD's it's a little stupid.

K-Mart does this with their DVD's, and due to this, as well as the fact that they have horrible selection, I've never bought a DVD there.

I don't like having to ask an employee anything when I shop. If I can't just grab it, I'm not going to buy it there. Maybe if it's a computer or a piece of hardware or something, but a DVD I can pick up elsewhere?

If it's locked up, or not on the shelf, I'll get it someplace else.
What do you expect a store to do. I was at a store that started locking up dvd's that day. I asked them why. I was told they thought they were selling a huge number of dvd's. In fact they were selling out every week in a couple of days(they only sell new releases at this drug store). Then they looked at sales info.

1 sold . 19 missing.
2 sold 18 missing.
zero sold. 20 missing.
4 sold. 16 missing.

so they realized they were losing a ton of money every week by putting them out.

At least by locking them up they have some to sell to customers.

Do not get angry at the stores. Blame those jerks who steal.
Old 01-07-04, 10:34 PM
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Is it that easy for people to steal a dvd? I would have thought with all the security stickers, guards at the door, cameras, etc. that it wouldn't be.
Old 01-08-04, 12:09 AM
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Originally posted by abintra
Is it that easy for people to steal a dvd? I would have thought with all the security stickers, guards at the door, cameras, etc. that it wouldn't be.
You would be amazed at places people think to steal at within a store and what tactics they will use to get what they want. Some employees can be distracted really easily and it is those employees that the thieves prey upon.

I've had quite a few years of retail experience, and some of the stories I hear today still surprise me.
Old 01-08-04, 10:53 AM
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Originally posted by abintra
Is it that easy for people to steal a dvd? I would have thought with all the security stickers, guards at the door, cameras, etc. that it wouldn't be.
Employee shrinkage can also be a major problem, esp. at a high turnover place like WMT. Employees can take their time getting DVDs out the package.

My wife worked at WMT for a year and said about once per month the police led one of the employees out of the store in handcuffs. One of them had successfully stolen a big screen TV but then couldn't keep his mouth shut about it and got turned in by other employees.

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