Why Do Stores Keep Dvds Under Lock and Key?
 

I went to a new Walmart the other day as I really wanted NCIS S1. And there it was. Fully stocked for $24.95. And under lock and key. I wandered around trying to find a sales associate, and finally gave up. Every single dvd was locked up. Thanks Walmart. You just lost a sale.

Why do stores feel the need to do this? It's not like you can shoplift the things. The alarm will go off at the front door. I find it even more puzzling at Target when they have a cop on hand to discourage shoplifters. I think the stores lose out on more money as buyers like myself will just give up.

I like to look at the merchandise before buying it, and you don't have that opportunity with the lock and key places.

Re: Why Do Stores Keep Dvds Under Lock and Key?
 

Actually it's fairly easy to shoplift the discs themselves as it's the case that has the sensor sticker. Once you easily slice open the packaging and slide the disc into your pocket, you're good to go.

Re: Why Do Stores Keep Dvds Under Lock and Key?
 

You couldn't find a sales associate at Walmart? That is very unusual.

Re: Why Do Stores Keep Dvds Under Lock and Key?
 

I've always wondered how thieves does this. Do they bang the case first to get the discs loose? Otherwise I see no way of getting them out simply be slicing the package open in the side.

Re: Why Do Stores Keep Dvds Under Lock and Key?
 

The drug store Rite Aid is pretty good with this - usually they have a new DVD release in the lock and key display 5 days before the Tuesday release. Usually, they will open it and sell it...

Re: Why Do Stores Keep Dvds Under Lock and Key?
 

Walmart is the only store in my area that locks up discs.

I guess they have a shoplifting problem.

Re: Why Do Stores Keep Dvds Under Lock and Key?
 

Borders locks up most of their box sets, which I find annoying, because you have to track the associate down and he stands there while you ponder your decision. It's not worth it, so I rarely bother.

Re: Why Do Stores Keep Dvds Under Lock and Key?
 

For whatever reason, that always makes me nervous, which is weird, because it shouldn't. Part of me wants to shrug it off and make them wait for me to make my decision, but I often feel like I'm inconveniencing them by pulling them away from something else. When the sales associates pull the DVD box set out of the case, they stand there while I read the back of it and/or compare the specs to another disc (and make sure the box isn't damaged while I check it for loose discs). Once you decide to buy it, then, they walk it to the front checkout counter for you.

Re: Why Do Stores Keep Dvds Under Lock and Key?
 

I waited an hour for a sales associate to unlock the glass case at Hastings once. They were busy, but it was ridiculous. I finally gave up, went home and called the store and explained the situation. I asked if they could pull the item I'd been waiting for and keep it at customer service when they weren't so busy and I'd come back. They told me that they weren't too busy right then so I went back (I live about five minutes away) and they made me wait another twenty minutes. No apologies.

The thing that always bugs me about it is that at stores that do this, I've noticed that there doesn't seem to be a consistent criteria of what to lock up and what not to. For instance, at that Hastings there are new and used sets that are for sale for about fifty bucks each locked up. And newer released, similarly priced sets can be found on the regular shelves throughout the store.

Keeping DVDs under lock and key seems like an archaic practice to me.

Re: Why Do Stores Keep Dvds Under Lock and Key?
 

It's also pretty annoying when you consider that they spine most of the titles, so you can't even check a price without finding an associate with a key.

Re: Why Do Stores Keep Dvds Under Lock and Key?
 

When that happens, and the price was higher than I wanted to pay I always feel like guilty. Like I should buy it anyway because I had to track this person down, pull them away from what they were doing, so that I could... look at a price sticker. I did buy once anyway because of this, but returned the item later.

Re: Why Do Stores Keep Dvds Under Lock and Key?
 

Haven't dealt with this in quite some time. I'm pretty certain if I had to track someone down to get a dvd out of a case I just wouldn't buy it.

Re: Why Do Stores Keep Dvds Under Lock and Key?
 

This is the first time I hear about Wal-Mart doing this. I know that K-Mart does this since their VHS days and it annoys me as hell. The put under lock and key $3.99 DVDs. WTF?!?

Re: Why Do Stores Keep Dvds Under Lock and Key?
 

No need to feel guilty. You should not have to waste time because of their stupid practice.

Re: Why Do Stores Keep Dvds Under Lock and Key?
 

Beside the fact that prices at Borders are ridiculous.

Re: Why Do Stores Keep Dvds Under Lock and Key?
 

FWIW I'm sure we've all read stories of groups of DVD (etc.) thieves who have boosted and/or made hundreds of thousands of dollars over a couple of years time, generally from a handful of big box stores ...

Re: Why Do Stores Keep Dvds Under Lock and Key?
 

The Borders near me has this problem. All of their BD discs are locked up, so checking specs and pricing is impossible. Very annoying when you consider the regular DVDs aren't locked up.

Re: Why Do Stores Keep Dvds Under Lock and Key?
 

The obvious solution for both store/customer is to do what many video game stores do...put an empty box out for pricing/examining purposes. Then a customer can decide if he/she wants the title before asking someone to come take it out of the locked case.

Of course, this doesn't help the problem with finding an associate, but it's a step in the right direction.

Re: Why Do Stores Keep Dvds Under Lock and Key?
 

I personally have no stores near me that have a locked cabinet for dvd's, so this isnt an issue for me. I have been noticing latly though, that mroe and mreo stores are going to those spider wrap things. Target especially are using these, and they suck ass for dvds. The work by being tight on the product, but if they are too tight they fuck up the packaging. It is a very fineline that the mouthbreathers at target cant seem to find. They have also been using more clear plastic cases for individual seasons lately. those I dont mind, as you can still see everythign on the case, and even hear loosies.
Having worked in retail sales, that actually sold dvds, I know exactly how easy it is to steal dvds, so I appreciate what these stores are up against.

What I do find annoying is those peg lockers that some stores have on clamshelled products. Mostly knives I have found. Basically the item is hanging on a peg, out int eh open, but you cant get it off the peg or even see the back without a sales associate unlocking it. That, and the ammo at walmart is locked in a case. Always need to find the sales associate for sporting goods to open it, as not all associates are trained to sell ammo.

Re: Why Do Stores Keep Dvds Under Lock and Key?
 

I don't have any stores that I can think of near me that do this with dvds.. at least none of the major ones I frequent. They still do it for video games though.. which is why I usually go to Best Buy to buy them.

Re: Why Do Stores Keep Dvds Under Lock and Key?
 

Maybe they should handle it the old Toys R Us video game method. Empty case for you to look at, but you have to fill out a slip and bring it to CS for them to get you the game?

The only stores around here that lock up the DVDs are KMart, and I find it annoying, they do it for ALL DVDs, as someone mentioned earlier, even the 3.99 discs. So you can't even really browse for prices.

Re: Why Do Stores Keep Dvds Under Lock and Key?
 

Funny this thread popped up.

Yesterday a guy came into the Media Section of the store I work at and liberated about $300 worth of DVD's. All of them had the plastic completely torn off/removed. Didn't take a look at what he did with the security stickers inside.

As per policy, I couldn't say anything until I visually saw something. As my manager and I walked by the customer (he had a backpack), he was grabbing handfuls of un-cased CD's and putting them into his backpack. Smart move.

I agree with a lot of posters here that asking someone to get a movie out of a case is inconvenient for the customer. Don't get it twisted, it is NEVER inconvenient for the associate and nor it ever should be. It is our job and that is that.

Also another example of shoplifting at the store I work at that sort of relates to the OP's question. We had a large group of shoplifters (they worked together and hit different stores in our area), just either do quick runs where they would run in grab items and run out. Or in the case of the Media Section, all of the DVD's that were not cased or locked up, they just cut the plastic and took all of the discs out. Discs don't set off the alarms outside of the packaging and not everyone needs packaging :)

Re: Why Do Stores Keep Dvds Under Lock and Key?
 

One of the Borders near me locks up their COMIC BOOKS (the TPBs)! I stopped buying comics there.

Re: Why Do Stores Keep Dvds Under Lock and Key?
 

That's exactly what I'm talking about ^ and problems like this will increase as the economy continues to swirl around the toilet. :(

Re: Why Do Stores Keep Dvds Under Lock and Key?
 

See that, I can understand. The floors are always littered with people reading comic books on the floor. Who the heck is going to buy (at full price, no less) a copy that's been read over and over?

But yeah, they lock the dvds up because there are people shoplifting all the time. At the local Kmart, even if they didn't lock them up
a) the deals are few and far between
b) they don't always update the stickers anyway, and so you'd need some kind of scanner to find out which ones are on sale

I don't think I've ever been in a Kmart and found a deal... I usually go in after hearing of a deal.

The cases are still better than those spider things they put on boxsets. Ugh.