A San Francisco business is enacting an unconventional method to curb what it calls “rampant shoplifting” — requiring employees to accompany shoppers while browsing aisles.
The system, termed “one-on-one” shopping, is the creative solution to theft at Fredrickson’s Hardware and Paint in San Francisco, California.
According to KRON4, Fredericksen’s now how has a section of its entrance blocked off using a table and a sign reading “Please wait for assistance,” where shoppers must wait for an employee to help them navigate the store.
The store’s manager, Sam Black, was supportive of the new method of operation, telling the outlet that it was worth implementing to keep business afloat, as well as keep employees and shoppers safe.
Black, who has worked at Fredericksen’s for more than 24 years, told the outlet that shoplifting has gotten “pretty bad,” adding, “I mean, the dollar amounts are pretty significant and with the tools and now we’re getting snatch-and-grabs when they take whole displays, so it’s getting kind of dangerous for the employees and the customers.”
The tactic is only employed during hours in which they have noticed increased theft, such as two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening. Black noted that the goal is to make potential shoplifters feel “uncomfortable” so that “they go somewhere else.”
According to the store manager, theft in the area is the worst it’s ever been. Employees reportedly resorted to drilling down pots and pans in their places to prevent shoplifters from taking them, as well as installing locking systems on tools and hardware.
“[P]eople aren’t happy,” Black added. “The regulars can’t believe it like we can’t believe it, but they’ve been really understanding.”
Many have blamed the drastic increase in shoplifting statewide on the passage of Proposition 47 in 2014, which reclassified felony theft offenses as misdemeanors if the merchandise stolen is equal to or less than $950. The rampant crime has caused many stores to flee cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles. Additionally, Los Angeles’s zero bail policy has weakened enforcement and punishment of crimes such as shoplifting, increasing their occurrence.
