We can now add one more to the long list of variations on the fundamental concept of retailing: Untailing.
This may not be what practitioners of this form had in mind when they created its guiding principles, but once introduced, there is no other way to describe it.
Looking for a quick definition?
Tail pulling (unˌtāl)
Anti-sale practices by retailers.
Untailing’s mission is to address crime in stores, particularly shoplifting and theft. These are real issues, and while they’re not as real as some would have you believe, they are legitimate issues, even though reports and figures seem to be “adjusted” to promote whatever point of view retailers (or politicians) are trying to make.
It hasn’t always been this way. If you run a store, you know this better than anyone. Theft by shoppers, and by employees, has been a fact of life since stores were invented. Whether it’s minor theft from counter displays or more serious theft of valuables or cash from registers, or other serious acts, retailers large and small have considered it a cost of doing business. Some call it shrink, I call it crime.
Some of the solutions retailers have come up with are certainly new, if not new. And they fit nicely under the heading of “detailing.” Take Saks Fifth Avenue, for example: The company announced it would convert its downtown San Francisco store to appointment-only, meaning shoppers won’t be able to just walk in off the street and shop like most people do. I know San Francisco’s Union Square neighborhood has been pretty sketchy lately: Macy’s announced plans to close its flagship store there, and others have already shuttered.
But even if there are homeless people, squatters and professional criminals around, there are also tourists, people who add Saks to their schedule while shopping at other stores in the area, and people who would normally pass by Saks and impulsively stop in to browse and hopefully buy something.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t usually plan my purchases that carefully, but Saks’ new policy has me out of luck.
Saks isn’t the only chain taking preventative shopping measures: Target is storing many products in locked cabinets and shelves, as are many of the major drugstore chains. And it’s no longer just razors and condoms, but basic health and beauty products that are often impulse buys.
These are all drastic measures, but are the circumstances really so drastic? Aren’t there better ways to deal with this crime wave? Can’t stores just put more merchandise behind cases that don’t look like high-security rooms? Can’t major retailers increase video surveillance and plainclothes security to keep their stores open and attractive? Can’t we use common sense instead of all this nonsense and come up with ways to reduce crime and still maintain business?
Retailers are some of the most creative people out there. They have invented amazing things to help build their business. There has to be a better solution. The current one is simply a bad choice.
Meanwhile, if you haven’t seen Untailing in person yet, you’ll have to wait just a little longer – it will be arriving at a store near you.
References from GDA:
