Various stores for months have been locking up some beauty, hygiene, and cleaning products to prevent retail theft.
Some Bay Area stores are now even securing socks and underwear to keep shoplifters from stealing them. Shoppers are getting accustomed to seeing high-ticket items like electronics and even toiletries under lock and key, but many customers thought they would never see the underwear aisle impacted.
"It comes to the point of how ghetto does it look that they have to lock up the socks or whatever it is that they have under the key," shopper Olga Leon said.
Shopper Curtis Edwards said it would be very inconvenient if he needed to purchase socks under lock and key.
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"I'd be very upset," Edwards said. "I got to call somebody to come up from the counter to get socks."
At least two East Bay Target stores -- one in Richmond and the other in Pleasant Hill -- have started locking up their undergarments. A customer had to wait 10 minutes to open up the case so he could buy some boxers.
Shoppers are also discovering buying underwear at Walmart is not easy anymore. A Hilltop Walmart has their underwear locked up and clerks said shoplifters are striking the store nearly every day.
Richmond City Councilmember Cesar Cepeda said the growing retail theft trend is alarming. He fears we will see more stores shutting down.
"The cost will go upas residents will have to pay more of they'll have to commute and travel farther to pick up their groceries, to pick up their socks, to pick up their prescriptions," Cepeda said. "It's really going to be hurting our community."
Target said it is working to prevent theft and in a statement said "on a limited basis, we employ theft deterrent merchandising strategies, such as locking cases, for categories that are prone to theft."
