Ever felt a wave of frustration when you see your shampoo or toothpaste locked behind a glass case at the store? You’re not alone. And as it turns out, this practice is actually bad for business – but Walgreens is doing it anyway.

During a recent earnings call, Walgreens’ CEO Tim Wentworth shared that locking up products like toothpaste and deodorant leads to fewer sales. “When you lock things up, you don’t sell as many of them. We’ve proven that pretty conclusively,” he said. But despite this, the company plans to keep the practice in place. Why? It’s all about theft prevention.

Wentworth described the fight against shoplifting as a “hand-to-hand combat battle.” While the company is exploring other ways to reduce theft – he didn’t share any specifics – locked cases remain the “most efficient solution” for now.

For retailers like Walgreens, it’s a tricky balancing act: how do you protect your inventory without alienating customers? Locking up products might deter thieves, but it also frustrates shoppers and drives them away. Some customers have even taken to social media to vent. “If I see it locked up, I leave,” one TikTok user wrote.

Analysts say this strategy isn’t sustainable in the long run. “Why go to a store if you have to wait for someone to open up the case?” asked retail expert Scott Mushkin. “It’s a blunt tool and self-defeating.”

This trend of locking up products isn’t new. It started during the COVID-19 pandemic when shoplifting incidents spiked. Videos of thieves smashing store windows and grabbing merchandise went viral, and the issue became heavily politicized. However, some experts believe retailers may have overstated the problem to cover up other issues, like poor inventory management.

While new anti-theft measures are being tested – like using smartphones to unlock cases – none have been as effective as simply locking products up. For now, it seems Walgreens and other retailers are willing to accept lower sales if it means keeping their shelves stocked and their doors open.

So next time you’re stuck waiting for a store employee to unlock that $5 deodorant, remember: it’s not just you. It’s a battle against shoplifting, and retailers are still figuring out how to win.