We visited stores like Walmart and Home Depot to see how they are tackling the industry's $95 billion shoplifting problem. We found an alarming amount of locked up items with security cameras watching every aisle.

Ben Tobin,Dominick ReuterJan 26, 2023, 16:47 IST

Home Depot locks away many of its power tools to prevent theft.Dominick Reuter/Insider

Retail theft has become a $95 billion problem for the industry, per the National Retail Federation.
We visited four retailers' stores to see what anti-theft measures they are putting into place.

Industry groups say retail theft has become a $94.5 billion problem.

Some of the more than $200,000 in stolen retail goods seized by the San Francisco Police Department from a man who was reselling them online.San Francisco Police Department via AP

And organized retail crime has skyrocketed and exacerbated retailers' problems, according to theft prevention experts.

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney, during a press conference in the law library at the Suffolk County Courthouse on March 16, 2022, announces the indictments of four New Jersey residents who stole thousands of dollars worth of purses from retail store Balenciaga in East Hampton, New York.James Carbone/Newsday RM via Getty Images

Leaders at major retailers nationwide, like Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, have sounded the alarm, saying that stores will close and/or prices will rise if theft doesn't slow down.

Walmart's CEO Doug McMillon.REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Leaders at major retailers nationwide, like Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, have sounded the alarm, saying that stores will close and/or prices will rise if theft doesn't slow down.

We visited several big-box stores in the Midwest to see how retailers are approaching anti-theft measures.

Walmart has installed cameras on medication and beauty aisles in a store in Louisville, Kentucky.Ben Tobin

Walmart installed a mobile surveillance "lot cop" in a parking lot in a store in Louisville, Kentucky, to try to scare away shoplifters.

Walmart is trying to deter theft by installing cameras in its parking lot.Ben Tobin

Surveillance continued into the store, with signs warning customers that there are "security cameras in use" and "reducing theft helps us all by keeping prices low."

Walmart installed security cameras on beauty and medicine aisles to deter theft.Ben Tobin

Like other retailers, Walmart locked many items, like beauty and electronics, behind glass doors, requiring customers to get an employee to retrieve products for them.

Walmart locks many beauty items behind glass doors.Ben Tobin

The store also locked a plethora of items in plastic boxes, requiring them to be removed at check out.

Walmart locks away some items in plastic boxes.Ben Tobin

Walmart covered items throughout the store with spider wrap alarms, which will sound off if an item is stolen from a store.

Walmart places spider wrap alarms on many of its products.Ben Tobin

Spider wraps were also a common sight at a Target near Madison, Wisconsin.

Dominick Reuter/Insider

Bundles of loose wraps were kept in a restocking cart to be added to merchandise before putting it on the shelf.

Dominick Reuter/Insider

A video game display at Target used a tether to let shoppers look at a title, but required staff assistance to get a copy from a locker in order to buy it.

Dominick Reuter/Insider

Most personal care items were available on the shelf at Target, but Plan B emergency contraceptive pills were placed in security boxes.

Dominick Reuter/Insider

Elsewhere in Target's beauty section, the only items with security RF tags were fake eyelashes and press-on nails.

Dominick Reuter/Insider

Target protects its shopping carts with a cart retrieval system made by Gatekeeper Systems.

Dominick Reuter/Insider

An estimated 2 million shopping carts are stolen each year, costing retailers an estimated $800 million.

Dominick Reuter/Insider

At a Home Depot in Madison, Wisconsin, one of several security cameras monitoring the front entrance showed shoppers that they were on camera.

Dominick Reuter/Insider

Household electrical fuses were hung on twist-release displays, which make it harder to pull several off the rack at once.

Dominick Reuter/Insider

Higher-priced power tools were locked in merchandise cages at Home Depot, though it wasn't indicated whether a purchase was needed to activate them.

Dominick Reuter/Insider

A padlock on a merchandise cage reminded store workers at Home Depot to personally bring items to the checkout.

Dominick Reuter/Insider

Some battery packs that were locked in cages were also tagged with RF devices at Home Depot.

Dominick Reuter/Insider

But application of security tags was a bit inconsistent across the store.

Dominick Reuter/Insider

Home Depot also used locks and non-working units to display items, like these nail guns.

Dominick Reuter/Insider

At a Lowe's in Louisville, Kentucky, power tools on display were protected with small alarms from Swiss company Pataco.

Lowe's uses Pataco alarms to ensure displayed power tools don't get stolen/Ben Tobin

With other items like leaf blowers, the store had less intense anti-theft measures, using traditional locks to keep them safe.

Leaf blowers are locked up at Lowe's.Ben Tobin

Lowe's also locked away many of its items, particularly power tools, behind caged doors...

Lowe's locks many power tools away behind caged doors.Ben Tobin

... and announced an initiative this year where some power tools won't work unless activated while being purchased.

Lowe's has taken many measures to protect its power tools.Ben Tobin

Lowe's also had security cameras on several of its power tool aisles.

Ben Tobin

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We visited stores like Walmart and Home Depot to see how they are tackling the industry's $95 billion shoplifting problem. We found an alarming amount of locked up items with security cameras watching every aisle.

Industry groups say retail theft has become a $94.5 billion problem.

And organized retail crime has skyrocketed and exacerbated retailers' problems, according to theft prevention experts.

Leaders at major retailers nationwide, like Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, have sounded the alarm, saying that stores will close and/or prices will rise if theft doesn't slow down.

We visited several big-box stores in the Midwest to see how retailers are approaching anti-theft measures.

Walmart installed a mobile surveillance "lot cop" in a parking lot in a store in Louisville, Kentucky, to try to scare away shoplifters.

Surveillance continued into the store, with signs warning customers that there are "security cameras in use" and "reducing theft helps us all by keeping prices low."

Like other retailers, Walmart locked many items, like beauty and electronics, behind glass doors, requiring customers to get an employee to retrieve products for them.

The store also locked a plethora of items in plastic boxes, requiring them to be removed at check out.

Walmart covered items throughout the store with spider wrap alarms, which will sound off if an item is stolen from a store.

Spider wraps were also a common sight at a Target near Madison, Wisconsin.

Bundles of loose wraps were kept in a restocking cart to be added to merchandise before putting it on the shelf.

A video game display at Target used a tether to let shoppers look at a title, but required staff assistance to get a copy from a locker in order to buy it.

Most personal care items were available on the shelf at Target, but Plan B emergency contraceptive pills were placed in security boxes.

Elsewhere in Target's beauty section, the only items with security RF tags were fake eyelashes and press-on nails.

Target protects its shopping carts with a cart retrieval system made by Gatekeeper Systems.

An estimated 2 million shopping carts are stolen each year, costing retailers an estimated $800 million.

At a Home Depot in Madison, Wisconsin, one of several security cameras monitoring the front entrance showed shoppers that they were on camera.

Household electrical fuses were hung on twist-release displays, which make it harder to pull several off the rack at once.

Higher-priced power tools were locked in merchandise cages at Home Depot, though it wasn't indicated whether a purchase was needed to activate them.

A padlock on a merchandise cage reminded store workers at Home Depot to personally bring items to the checkout.

Some battery packs that were locked in cages were also tagged with RF devices at Home Depot.

But application of security tags was a bit inconsistent across the store.

Home Depot also used locks and non-working units to display items, like these nail guns.

At a Lowe's in Louisville, Kentucky, power tools on display were protected with small alarms from Swiss company Pataco.

With other items like leaf blowers, the store had less intense anti-theft measures, using traditional locks to keep them safe.

Lowe's also locked away many of its items, particularly power tools, behind caged doors...

... and announced an initiative this year where some power tools won't work unless activated while being purchased.

Lowe's also had security cameras on several of its power tool aisles.