Target Shoppers Hate the Lock Boxes 

“I am not a big fan of them, having lockboxes makes it harder for me to do a quick trip,” said Chenicia Cummings, a 21-year-old junior at The City College of New York (CCNY). Cummings is one of many Target shoppers frustrated by the increase of lockboxes in Target stores. Cummings, a Brooklyn resident, primarily shops at the Target located on Gateway Drive in Canarsie. The mass installation of lockboxes has disrupted the traditional Target run for loyal shoppers. “ I can’t go to Target if I am in a rush, Cummings explained, “I have to make sure I have enough time to spend in the store because of the lockboxes.”

Target was known for quick and easy shopping, but the company has gradually increased the number of items behind lockboxes to prevent theft. According to Business Insider, Target executives blame organized retail crime for a loss of $400 million due to inventory shrink in November of 2022.

In an article published almost a year later, Business Insider shared Target’s decision to close nine stores. “Target is the first major general merchandise retailer to explicitly cite theft as the primary reason for a round of store closures of this scale.”

In the past, Target primarily put more costly items like $50.00 electric razors and electric toothbrushes behind locked cases. But now personal hygiene, cleaning items, and health products are also locked up. Unlike the costly electronics, the everyday Items locked behind cases range on the lower end of $1.99 to $22.00.

The tall clear lockboxes are adorned by call scanners. If a customer wants an item, they must wave their hand underneath the call scanner to call an employee to unlock the merchandise. Marquise Monterro, a junior at CCNY, shared his experience with the call scanners, “At first it was ok, but then the workers would take up to 15 minutes to come,” he said. Monterro started shopping at the 14th Street, Union Square Target four years ago. Monterro’s Target run soon turned unpleasant, “It’s inconvenient,” he said, “the workers were purposefully hiding so they wouldn’t have to help.”

Similarly, La’Nique Williams, a Target shopper of 10 years, feels annoyed by the lockboxes and the call scanners. Williams recalls when Target deactivated the call scanner for some time, leaving her to scour the store for an employee with keys, “It makes me feel like an employee tracking down my manager, I’d rather go somewhere else.” Williams said the addition of personal care items behind lockboxes also discourages her from shopping at Target, “It makes me feel like they’re calling shoppers animals that would just steal anything.”

Target shoppers have expressed their frustration about the lockboxes online. Cities like New York, including a San Francisco location that was the subject of a viral TikTok marveling at all the locked-up merchandise. I reached out to Target’s press team, but they did not respond to repeated requests for an interview or a comment.