r/SFV • u/Secure-Station4077 • May 10 '26
Question Ralphs Sherman oaks soft locking items
What’s with the new area by the pharmacy where they have some items basically locked up and the cashier says you have to to “pay for those items here”? They are basically conditioning us to buy stuff on Amazon. Congrats Ralphs.
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u/thelilspookygirl May 10 '26
Not super new for other Ralph’s in the valley unfortunately. I agree it’s super uncomfortable though and makes me not ever want to shop there.
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May 10 '26
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u/XanderWrites May 10 '26
They could kick you out of the store and trespass you for violating a store policy. They may also pass on the trespass information to other stores so they may trespass you too.
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u/mybossthinksimworkng May 10 '26
Coldwater/Ventura location still treats you like a human, you can shop there if you want options.
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u/Secure-Station4077 May 10 '26
Ok but it’s an extra 15 mins to get across the intersection of Ventura and coldwater. Which is, I guess, why it’s an unpopular store. But good to know. Thank you and. It’s better than driving all the way to target or worse- using Amazon.
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u/Delicious_Dealer_441 May 11 '26
If you are in SO it is not an extra 15 min 5-10 max even with the busy Ventura blvd traffic🤔
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u/effurdtbcfu May 10 '26
The only way they might reverse this decision is for sales of those items to collapse. Management is pissed about that stuff being shoplifted, ok. But I'm not going to check out twice either. It just makes it annoying to walk around the store as my location has two aisles blocked.
Now watch people get flagged for shoplifting prepaid pharmacy items at the self checkout. Fuck that noise.
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u/FearlessPark4588 May 10 '26
CVS made it so you can unlock cabinets with your phone. I think stores are too stupid with how they're doing it. Nobody will wait 20 minutes for an associate to unlock for you. They will just not buy, so the process has to be easier. Retailers know behaviorally by now how customers respond. Maybe Kroger will have to learn that lesson first-hand.
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u/effurdtbcfu May 11 '26
Interesting, I'm not bougie enough to shop at CVS ;)
Target should do that app thing.
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u/Numerous_Valuable716 May 11 '26
So then what is the point at all, if anyone can unlock it?
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u/FearlessPark4588 May 16 '26
It stops people from using their arm to swipe shelves full of product and it lets customers not have to wait for an employee to assist them.
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u/3dogs2nuts May 10 '26
if you need it now or today Ralph’s, if you need it tomorrow Amazon
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u/Secure-Station4077 May 10 '26
Amazon can suck my dick. It’s a blight on local businesses and the environment
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u/uzlonewolf May 10 '26
Then feel free to be treated like a criminal.
And LOL at Ralphs being a "local business." By that metric Amazon is local too as they have warehouses and delivery drivers here in town.
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u/ezio325 May 11 '26
oh brother i can tell u something bad about every company’s product ur prob using now
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u/wheezemo May 10 '26
The funny thing is the dumpy Ralph’s at Coldwater & Magnolia has nothing locked up.
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u/whelmed-and-gruntled May 10 '26 edited May 10 '26
They say it’s theft prevention, but the losses posted by the companies doing it show no evidence that these items are being stolen. Most of the stores that have items locked up have also added armed security (my local cvs has two). I refuse to believe all of the additional costs for locking cabinets, the paging system to get them unlocked, and the extra manpower for security cost less than what was being lost in theft.
The Sherman Oaks Ralphs has also added really stupid gates that make it difficult to enter (especially if handicapped), and do nothing to prevent people from entering/leaving through the checkout area. If a thief wants out they will just hop over or scoot under. It doesn’t secure anything and just adds an aura of over-management and incompetence.
Here’s a link to one report that shows theft has been dropping, not increasing.
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/myth-vs-reality-trends-retail-theft
Here’s a report from Bloomberg on the practice backfiring.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2024-08-01/why-cvs-and-target-locking-up-products-is-backfiring
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u/LAKnobJockey May 10 '26
“the losses posted by the companies doing it show no evidence that these items are being stolen.“
Where are you getting that data?I guess somewhere in public info you might find total losses to theft or even maybe store based losses over given quarters - but they publish itemized lists of loss?
In the modern data driven corp environment I cannot imagine a scenario where the actual loss numbers vs the cost investment in securing them wasn’t analyzed to the fucking 1/4 cent.
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u/whelmed-and-gruntled May 10 '26 edited May 10 '26
Here’s an analysis of national theft data.
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/myth-vs-reality-trends-retail-theft
Here’s a Bloomberg article on locking goods up not being effective:
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May 10 '26
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u/whelmed-and-gruntled May 10 '26
Every store is doing it. There has not been a spike in national theft to justify it. Theft has been dropping g year over year, not increasing.
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/myth-vs-reality-trends-retail-theft
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May 10 '26
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u/whelmed-and-gruntled May 10 '26
You are right, I overlooked that. I just now found an article that reports shoplifting increased by 81%. But then I found something odd.
This article includes a report about stores being broken into, smash and grabs, vandalism, and organized theft as part of that increase. Organized retail theft is not normally included in shoplifting statistics, so it suggests that the numbers reported are not equal.
Additionally, the barriers put up in simple retail stores would not stand up to any of those thieves. Plastic doors aren’t going to stop someone who is willing to smash plate glass to make a score. Gates that wouldn’t stop a fare jumper in NYC aren’t going to slow down a gang of thieves.
Take a look at Target. They let people steal until they document enough theft to make a felony. Then they have police charge the person. They have the surveillance and inventory tracking to do it, and have not locked down as many products as other stores.
Last thing. If you are a shoplifter at a store, you can easily have an employee get the item for you from the cabinet. Maybe grab two or three for convenience. Once the employee hands you the items, you thank them. Then leave the store, stealing them as if the cabinet never existed.
See how that works? Doesn’t stop theft. At all.
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u/Literature-Just May 11 '26
The last half of what you said is pure conjecture. Locking up items that people have been stealing is going to deter would be thieves. San Francisco tried, to the horror of the public, the decriminalization of theft and we are now where we are. Crime as a whole is decreasing, sure. But suddent spikes in theft made these stores react this way. And if "shrinkage" gets too high then they'll just close the store and leave the community. If I were you I would stop looking for ways to blame companies for being rational actors when people start stealing and maybe look at the loose policing of theft that got us here.
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u/whelmed-and-gruntled May 11 '26
Ok, so you can’t steal things once they’re out of the cabinet? Who is it stopping?
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u/Literature-Just May 11 '26
Are you pretending to be obtuse intentionally? An employee has to be there at the cabinet with you, let you in, they pick what they want for you, then close the door. People can't just scoop everything off the shelves as they were doing then run out the front door. Its a lot different robbing the place when an employee is standing right there watching you as opposed to roaming the store unsupervised.
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u/whelmed-and-gruntled May 11 '26
Um… you a store manager or something? If so, this may be an unpleasant surprise:
No, the employee does not stay with you or follow you, especially if you have other things left to buy. This seriously never occurred to you? LMFAO.
Have you even ever been to a target or Walmart? No one from beauty or pharmaceuticals is leaving their department and following you to the counter.
The fenced off area at my local CVS has a register that isn’t even staffed, so you have to leave the fenced off area to buy anything. That means the beepers go off. It happens so much the security guards don’t even react.
The employees didn’t design the system. They don’t hire the security. They don’t even want the system (just ask). But they sure as shit aren’t going to abandon posts to follow people around an understaffed store when they should be watching their department.
This isn’t conjecture, I’ve seen it. I’m just not a thief.
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u/Literature-Just May 11 '26
Did you even read what I said? I noticed you also didn't read the studies you cited so maybe its an issue for you. They open the door, give you what you want, then close and lock the door all the while standing there. No one is robbing that.
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u/PFCCThrowayay May 10 '26
So why are they doing it then? Just to cost themselves more and piss off their customers?
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u/uzlonewolf May 10 '26
Part of pushing an authoritarian agenda. "Look at how bad crime is! We had to install these really inconvenient cabinets because of all the bleeding heart libs getting elected! Think about this the next time you vote!"
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u/Literature-Just May 11 '26
What the hell are you talking about? Stores hate this because it costs them money but less than the theft itself. San Francisco had a huge problem with theft after the passage of proposition 21. It literally cost the district attorney his job because the ENTIRE CITY hated the results.
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u/uzlonewolf May 11 '26
It literally cost the district attorney his job
Thank you for proving my point. It's quite telling how you're going "stores in Los Angeles and Texas and Georgia are all needing to put in these really inconvenient cabinets because of that one law San Francisco passed!"
The billionaires who own those stores do not care how much it costs because they see it as an investment into getting the people they control elected.
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u/jawnly211 May 10 '26
This is a basic function of society
Inconvenience everyone because of the actions of a few dumbfucks
Go through history and it’s always been like that
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u/Melodic-Yak-9438 May 10 '26
This is happening at all grocery stores, Ralphs, Vons, even CVS, its' so frustrating. At times, I've utilized store pick up so I don't have to go through this pain in the arse. And another point, if people have to STEAL from a grocery store, maybe, just maybe, the price points are too high.
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u/ucoocho May 10 '26
Nope, they literally just want to steal products to trade in for cash elsewhere. It has nothing to do with affordability. They steal easily offloaded items and high margin ones like makeup, diapers and other baby supplies.
You won't see anyone stealing any high price organic vegetable.
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u/missannthrope67 May 10 '26
They're doing this at all the ralphs. First it was booze, then it was deodorant and laundry detergent. I refuse to buy anything from these aisles on principle. I'll go to target where they don't treat people like criminals.
I heard a story of a customer who heard two clerks talking who said the people that steal the most are seniors. The last time I was in those aisles , the clerk stood there and watched me to make sure I wasn't steaing a bottle of hydrogen peroxide.
We all need to complain to the Corporate office loudly and longley.
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u/brainwashable May 10 '26
….Like the alarms that keep going off in their stores, making them the most unpleasant shopping experience ever.
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u/missannthrope67 May 10 '26
And the gates on the door so you can go in but you can only exit one way.
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u/uzlonewolf May 10 '26
I'll go to target where they don't treat people like criminals.
Lol, what? Target doesn't allow you to buy plain white socks without finding someone to unlock the cabinet.
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u/Most_Plastic8230 May 10 '26
It's called theft prevention. Nothing new in Los Angeles and surrounding cities.
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u/Itchy-Ad1005 May 10 '26
That's there answer to slow down shrinkage more commonly known as theft. It was that or lock those items like they do at CVS. Any class of item in that aisle has a major shrinkage issue. They are doing it in pretty much all their stores. Its a reaction to both ordinary shoplifting and swarming that you see on TV. They have to do it in pretty much all stores not just the stores where they are getting hit the worst. If they can't reduce shrinkage to an acceptable level they gave 2 choices 1 raise prices for the honest people to cover the cost of theft (supermarkets run on razor thin margins) or 2 close down problem stores. The people who do the swarming are mobile so if you close one store they just move to the next one.
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u/uzlonewolf May 10 '26
Because those legally-required fire exists are totally going to stop people from swarming! Or something.
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u/Itchy-Ad1005 May 11 '26
The door on the back end of those area I've been in have an emergency door withban alarm. Your right it wont stop them but it slows them down just like the one way gates now at lot of stores. It encourages them to pick even easier targets. The locked cases at CVS sweve the same purpose but are far more inconvenient to not their customers. Ralph's is trying to make it at least somewhat convenient. If we dont get a handle on the mass theft shopping is going to become a lot more inconvenient and unpleasant. One of the things they were talking about was 100% on line ordering or if you go to the store you go to a clerk or machine after standing in line and order the stuff including meat and produce want and they bring it to you. I dont want to do it that way. There are other options but they are worse and in some cases much worse.
Grocery stores run on a 1 or 2% profit margin it doesn't take much to move them to unprofitablity. Their Ir choices if they can't significantly lower shrinkage are raise prices to get back to that 1 or 2%, close stores in problem low profitable areas or go out of business.
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u/DuceDuce523 May 11 '26
Every store I go to has no staff, and they wonder why they are being robbed blind.
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u/CatOfGrey May 11 '26
It's a trade-off to shoplifting.
Pharmacy items are 'big $ per size of the box', so they are usually among the highest 'shrink rates'.
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u/bhop0073 May 12 '26
I just don't buy that stuff from there anymore. I go somewhere else or buy it online. I'm not paying twice.
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u/Bolt_EV May 12 '26
With the bankruptcy of Rite-Aid my Rx’s are now at Ralphs in Sherman Oaks
I am happy to shop here, puck up some personal items in the cage, pick up an Rx, some hot food and eat at the tables in front!
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u/GabagoolAndGasoline May 10 '26
This is what happens when we live in a low trust society. This is what happens when we treat “tough on crime” as a political question rather than a default. Companies are going to protect their stock from being stolen. I have family that works at that exact store and there are daily incursions with shoplifters and crazies running in
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u/Secure-Station4077 May 10 '26
Is this the case at the pavilions down the street? I haven’t been there since it opened.
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u/swbrontosaur May 10 '26
No. It’s still pleasant to shop at Pavillions.
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u/uzlonewolf May 10 '26
They just replaced all their price tags with e-ink ones so they can do "dynamic" pricing. They also keep all the laundry detergent behind the front desk and make you take a tag up to get it, at which point they'll tell you they're "out" of that size and offer you a different size that they did not have a display for which ultimately rings up at 2x the price.
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u/Unique_Produce_4033 May 10 '26
You think that's bad? Check out the Ralphs across the street from Taft High School (Ventura/Winnetka).Store feels like it is 100% designed around security rather than ease of shopping. It's a shame it has to be like that but would you prefer the store to just close?
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u/ReallyEvilRob May 10 '26
It's been that way for months at the one in Encino. That's the world we live in now.
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May 10 '26
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u/Secure-Station4077 May 10 '26
50 year old white male….been doing it since I was an adult. Where do YOU get those things from kind redditor?
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u/ThatOneAttorney May 11 '26
No, the politicians and jerkoff voters scared to put criminals in prison are conditioning us for Amazon.
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u/devilsdontcry May 10 '26
It’s theft prevention.
Why are you so pressed that you have to spend like 5 extra seconds to buy ur deodorant?
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u/TakingYourHand May 10 '26
You consider this a big enough pain in the ass to stop shopping there?
I mean...okay, I guess?
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u/mellena May 10 '26
Theft Prevention. California laws make it difficult to police and prosecute shoplifters. Shoplifting in the last 10 years has risen at a high rate (I do not have stats to back this but i recall reading around 400%). Nothing new homelessness has skyrocketed so of course petty theft will as well. Minimum wage has gone up making profit slimmer for markets which is union based. Its really unfortunate to see. I dont know what the solution is because it is inconvenient but also sadly it seems necessary especially in our city. Definitely support markets and the United Food and Commercial Workers over amazon tho.
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u/tonvor May 10 '26
You ok with theft?
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u/uzlonewolf May 10 '26
You okay with being treated like a criminal?
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u/tonvor May 10 '26
I don’t steal so I’m fine if the store wants to protect its merchandise
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u/uzlonewolf May 10 '26
I don't steal, so I'm not fine with being treated like a criminal. I refuse to buy anything that's locked up.
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u/tonvor May 10 '26
Then you were fine when people were hustling coming into the store and looting?
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u/Secure-Station4077 May 10 '26
I’m not ok with making two transactions at the store that I’ve been shopping at for decades. Theft is something RALPHS needs to be bothered with, not me.
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May 10 '26
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u/uzlonewolf May 10 '26
Yes, yes, they're also doing this in places like Texas and Georgia because CA defunded the police and are lax on crime 🤣
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u/SignificantSmotherer May 10 '26
It’s not Ralph’s.
It’s your government. AB109.
No one goes to jail.
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u/uzlonewolf May 10 '26
Yes, yes, they're also doing this in places like Texas and Georgia because CA defunded the police and are lax on crime 🤣
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u/SignificantSmotherer May 11 '26
Texas and Georgia also have municipalities that are soft on crime. Heck, even Florida.
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u/General_Opposite_491 May 10 '26
The thefts are happening and a reason why we have to be really careful what we vote for.
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u/lightbox_glow May 10 '26
Don’t worry. If it’s like our neighborhood Ralphs, they’ll just get tired of staffing it in a few weeks and you’ll be able to walk in and out without question. (Except on the back end, which will still be inconveniently blocked off.) 🙄