THE BUZZ had the pleasure of testing out Raley’s new security system first hand last weekend. Of course that wasn’t the plan…
We popped into our neighborhood grocery store to pick up some dinner at the Sizzling Wok counter and a nice, cold coffee drink. We paid for our purchases at the new Peet’s counter and headed toward the automatic doors.
As we neared the doors, our shopping cart wheels locked and a storewide siren blared. The customer walking behind us, ran into our back as we suddenly stopped short.
Looking a little coy, the store manager and courtesy clerk headed our way and explained the store was “testing” a new system.
We were forced to dig out a receipt for the manager to prove that we did not shoplift our Chinese food dinner or coffee drink while the courtesy clerk unlocked the shopping cart’s wheels.
Later in the week, we joked with a Raley’s courtesy clerk when we managed to get through the doors without incident. She told us the alarm was going off “all day long” and told us the secret to our earlier demise.
Apparently, the store’s shopping carts are now rigged so that if a customer tries to take one out of the door without having passed through a check-out line, as we did over the weekend, the wheels lock and the alarm goes off.
The idea is to cut down on customers “who bring in their own bags,” she said, and take off without paying for their groceries. We guess this has been a problem recently?
I wish Safeway would be more proactive about keeping their carts out of the surrounding neighborhoods. There are several carts with broken loctronics systems that are showing up on the streets.
I’ve seen a few of those customers who bring in their own bags… usually backpacks… usually about 3:15pm on a weekday.
Seriously though, I shop with my own bags and I’ve often wondered how they know I paid vs. just packed my bag and left. I guess now I know!
They would be better off having someone stand at the door like WalMart (and NO! I haven’t shopped there in years, but I do remember) and check the receipt. But then at union wages, I guess that would be pretty spendy. I would do it for a cheaper wage…would that make me a scab? Trixie