
CVS’s new app feature allows customers to unlock anti-theft cabinets, but is it really addressing the root cause of rampant shoplifting?
Key Takeaways
- CVS introduces app feature for customers to unlock anti-theft cabinets in select NYC stores
- The feature aims to reduce wait times and improve customer experience
- Expansion plans include 10-15 more stores, with a focus on West Coast locations
- The app also offers prescription management, appointment scheduling, and health information access
- Critics question if this tech solution addresses the underlying issue of increased shoplifting
CVS’s Technological Band-Aid for Shoplifting Epidemic
In a move that seems more like a technological Band-Aid than a real solution, CVS Health is rolling out a new app feature that allows customers to unlock anti-theft cabinets themselves in select New York City locations. While the pharmacy giant touts this as an innovative step to enhance the in-store experience, it begs the question: Are we simply adapting to crime rather than addressing it head-on?
The feature, currently being piloted in three NYC stores, requires customers to be logged into the CVS Health app, connected to the store’s Wi-Fi, and have Bluetooth enabled. It’s a complex process just to access everyday items that were once freely available on shelves. This technological hurdle is supposedly designed to reduce wait times for customers who previously had to wait for employees to unlock items. But let’s be honest, it’s a sad commentary on the state of our society when we need an app to buy toothpaste or deodorant.
The Inconvenient Truth Behind Locked Cabinets
CVS’s Chief Digital, Customer, and Innovation Officer, Tilak Mandadi, inadvertently highlights the absurdity of the situation with his statement:
“People really, really dislike locked cabinets” – Tilak Mandadi
Well, Mr. Mandadi, you know what people dislike even more? The rampant crime and lack of law enforcement that necessitated these locked cabinets in the first place. Instead of addressing the root cause – the failure of our justice system to deter and punish shoplifters – we’re now expected to jump through technological hoops just to make a simple purchase.
The ‘Super App’ and Its Limitations
CVS is proudly expanding this app, which they internally dubbed “the super app,” to include features for managing prescriptions, scheduling appointments, and accessing health information. While these additions may be convenient, they do nothing to address the elephant in the room: the growing boldness of criminals who see pharmacies as easy targets.
The company plans to expand this feature to 10 to 15 more stores, including 10 on the West Coast. It’s no coincidence that they’re targeting areas known for their lax approach to petty crime. Instead of demanding stricter enforcement and consequences for theft, businesses are forced to adapt to an environment where crime is accepted as inevitable.
A Misguided Focus on Customer Experience
Mandadi further states:
“As a company, we are super focused on improving the health care experience” – Tilak Mandadi
But is this really improving the healthcare experience? Or is it merely a high-tech workaround for a problem that should be solved through proper law enforcement and a justice system that actually punishes criminals? The addition of AI-powered search functions, educational health articles, and meditation exercises in the app seems almost comical when juxtaposed against the reality of having to unlock a cabinet to buy basic necessities.
The Real Solution: Law and Order
While CVS’s technological innovation may provide a temporary fix, it fails to address the underlying issue. What we really need is a return to law and order, where shoplifters face real consequences for their actions. Until we tackle the root cause of this epidemic of retail theft, no amount of app features or locked cabinets will truly solve the problem. It’s time for our leaders to prioritize the safety and security of law-abiding citizens over the comfort of criminals.
Sources:
- CVS rolls out app that allows customers to unlock anti-theft shelves: ‘People really, really dislike locked cabinets’
- New CVS App Allows Customers to Unlock Cabinets to Access Products