That’s one way to stop a thief.
A TikToker is go viral for showcasing customers leaving a Target store struggling with the new anti-theft technology used on shopping carts.
Essentially, if a cart moves a certain distance away from the store, a censor kicks in and causes the cart’s wheels to lock, rendering it immobile. A video that has been viewed more than 4.6 million times shows customers struggling to pull the carts with locked wheels.
“You probably don’t know this because it’s obviously a new thing, but Target installed sensors on the carts, which prevent the carts from going outside of a certain parameter set by Target,” she says.
@taylormadesin1993 #target #nostealing #target cards #FYP #pureentertainment #cartnarcs ♬ original sound – Taylor Ann
The video shows confused customers unable to get to their vehicles because the sensors are going off.
In one scene, a man begins to pull the cart at an angle from the front to outsmart the sensors so he can get his stuff to his car.
A follow-up video shows that a dozen more customers are experiencing the same problem. A cart comes to an abrupt stop with a baby in the front.
@taylormadesin1993 #part 2 #fyp #CartNarcs #target cards #FYP #pureentertainment #nostealing #target ♬ original sound – Taylor Ann
Frustrated customers took to the comments to talk about how the sensors could be “dangerous” and unfair to shoppers.
“I ALWAYS put my cart back. As a mom with two kids, this would infuriate me,” said one user. “I can’t carry my stuff and hold my kids’ hands.”
“This is a total fail on your part, Target, put the parameter within your store’s lot, not in the middle of the damn parking lot,” said another.
In November, the retailer announced it had lost millions of dollars in profits due to “stock reduction” due to theft and crime.
“Along with other retailers, we have seen a significant increase in theft and organized retail crime across our business,” said Target CEO Brian Cornell. said during the company’s earnings call for the third quarter of 2022.
Target has not specified the exact perimeters to activate the sensors.
