'Secret' devices are monitoring self

A former Walmart employee recently took to TikTok to warn individuals who think they're getting away with shoplifting at the super-store - and she says that employees are notified of missed scans thanks to a handy secret device

With shoplifting from retailers at an all-time high, one Walmart employee went on social media with a warning to those thinking they can thieve just because they're at the self-checkout counter.

TikTok user @brebre42010 posted a video of herself making faces and lip-syncing to a popular clip - “d—–ss b–ch,” she sings, and then says something that got users riled up: “Me watching people at self-checkout as if my phone doesn’t notify me for every missed scan.”

The devices aren't new at all. Supermarkets like Asda and Tesco have reported using these devices for months.

Another former employee, @obeygoddess, went on TikTok last year to shed some light on the issue. “Do not steal from Walmart self-checkouts… you will get caught,” she said. She also stated that employees have handheld devices that allow them to pause the checkout process if they feel it is necessary.

“It will show us your entire order and everything that you’ve so far scanned in, and if we suspect that you’re stealing, there’s going to be an option at the bottom that says ‘pause transaction,'” she explained.

Although Walmart already appears to have an anti-theft process, Walmart's CEO says that the company is looking to invest in new technology to prevent theft at the self-checkout counter.

The CEO has been blaming a rise in thieving for a string of store closures across Canada and the US - even though the company posted $149.863 billion in profits in 2023, a 4.48 per cent increase from the year before.

As individuals take advantage of self-checkout counters to avoid paying for products at a time when the unemployment rates and inflation rates are high, Walmart has decided to invest more into what it considers 'safety measures.'

Gonzalo Gebara, president of Walmart Canada, says the chain discount store is suffering from a "lack of profits, theft and security concerns. Security, in general, is something we pay very close attention to,” Gebara told CTV News. "We're working with all of our resources to make sure that we just improve the general conditions of safety."

Safety, apparently to Gebara, is preventing individuals from petty theft at Walmart. He insists that Walmart is working with RCC (Retail Council of Canada) and other technological companies to create a solution.

US Walmart CEO, Doug McMillon, also discussed how large a problem stealing was in the stores last December, as he pulls in a salary that's 933 times what any Walmart employee makes. “Theft is an issue. It’s higher than what it has historically been,” he told CNBC.

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