Posted on 06/02/2023 8:34:55 PM PDT by simpson96
SOUTH LOOP — A South Loop Walgreens has unveiled a renovated interior where most of the merchandise is kept away from customers — and some shoppers say the changes make them feel unwelcome.
The new design at the Walgreens, 2 E. Roosevelt Road, places most of the merchandise in aisles behind staffed counters, with two interior aisles — covered by anti-theft detectors — where customers can browse and grab items themselves.
The redesign was first reported by CWB.
Customers walking in Thursday were greeted by an employee who directed them to a kiosk for digital shopping. A sign tells shoppers they can “place your order and relax” while an employee fetches items from aisles now blocked by the counters.
“Let us do the shopping,” the sign reads.
In a statement, Walgreens spokesperson Megan Boyd said the store continues to offer the same products, “just with a new look and feel that focuses on shopping digitally for convenience.”
“We are testing a new experience at this store with new concepts, technologies and practices to enhance the experiences of our customers and team members,” Boyd said in the statement.
The “store test” is the first of its kind, Boyd said.
The store still has self-checkout stations for groceries, bandages, allergy and pain medication and other lower-cost products, and it has a pharmacy in the back.
But several regulars who shopped Thursday said they think the new design is an attempt to deter theft. There were 19 reported thefts at convenience or drug stores in the 100 block of East Roosevelt Road in 2022, according to police data.
Jacoby Gunn, a street cleaner and neighborhood peacekeeper with Readi Chicago, peeked into the store Thursday.
“I don’t understand why they had to move everything to the back at just this store. … There’s crime everywhere,” Gunn said. “It’s racial profiling. Why don’t you trust your customers?”
Customer Sirak Goitom said he found the store “confusing to walk through.”
“The way it was set up before, it was easier to move in and out,” Goitom said. “I don’t think this is good for business. And security can’t be that much better if there’s self-checkout.”
What is humiliating is everyone knows it’s because of black dems.....
And they are just seeking reparations, if you ask brain dead lefties, which I don’t!
The poor thieves!!
Whatever will they do??
Read the title and thought for sure it was going to be the Babylon Bee.
Hmm, seems racist. /S
The ones that feel "unwelcome" probably aren't shoppers. Of course, they still have self-checkout, so there will still be theft.
Service Merchandise was ahead of it’s time and had this concept in the 1980s...of course they went out of business shortly thereafter.
“Why don’t you trust your customers?”
They trust the customers, it’s the thieves they don’t trust. A thief is not a customer.
Customer Sirak Goitom said he found the store “confusing to walk through.”
“The way it was set up before, it was easier to move stolen sh*t in and out,” Goitom said.
There, I fixed it with the actual quote.
😂🤣😂🤣😂😆😆🤣😆😆
The eggplants are eating chicago
Makes sense to save time by planning ahead and ordering online for delivery.
Very little if any human interaction, so minimal opportunity for fights or riots. Just be careful coming in and out of the employee access door to the back rooms.
Nailed it.
Drug stores used to have most items behind the shelf.
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