One of the most commonly stolen product categories at the store is cosmetics, particularly serums and other small items that sell for $50 or more apiece, the employee said. Because of their small size, they could easily be slipped into someone’s bag or clothing, he said.

A store employee began taking the beauty products out of their boxes, storing them in the back room of the store and putting the empty boxes back on the shelves, said the employee interviewed by BI.

The employee said customers wishing to purchase these items must ask an employee to retrieve them from the back area as part of an improvised anti-theft system.

“This is not a request from Walgreens or the store manager or anyone else,” the employee said.

The employees had come up with such measures on their own because they were “fed up with nothing being done”.

The employee said personal care items such as deodorant and toothpaste are also common targets of thieves.

The employee said he was not allowed to pursue or question people who appeared to be taking items without paying for them.

The employee recalled an incident involving a woman who had apparently stuffed products into her clothing. While standing in line with some other products on the conveyor belt, she suddenly claimed she had forgotten her money in the car, left the line and left the store.

The employee stated that he followed her out of the store – and was reprimanded by his supervisor for doing so.

“I saw her get into a car and they sped away,” the employee said. “When I came back, I was told, ‘You could lose your job for this.'”

“I didn’t say anything to her,” he said. “I just wanted to show her that I knew what she was doing.” Other retailers, including Walmart, have similar policies.

Training materials the employee said he read when he started working at Walgreens state that in some cases the store may share security camera footage with local police, but the employee said he was unaware of this ever happening at his store.

Major retailers, from Target to Lowe’s, have spoken out about losses and other problems they’ve suffered from theft in recent years.

However, it has proven difficult to obtain estimates of how much theft costs retailers.

Many stores, including drugstore chains like Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid, have locked away everything from toothpaste to laundry detergent to deter thieves. But that can backfire by making it harder for customers and delivery workers from services like Instacart to shop.

The Walgreens employee said the store where he works had few items locked away other than some electronic devices.

In June, Walgreens announced it would close some of its stores. While the chain did not disclose how many stores it would close, it said about a quarter of its 8,600 U.S. stores did not contribute to adjusted operating profit.

The employee interviewed by BI said there are no plans to close the store where he works, but he still believes theft – and Walgreens’ apparent inability to address it – is hurting the business.

“It’s no surprise that Walgreens is not doing well, and that’s a big contributing factor,” he said.

“To provide the best patient and customer experience and ensure the safety of our patients, customers and team members, we take certain preventative measures against theft,” such as installing anti-theft devices to protect merchandise, a Walgreens spokesperson said.

“These steps are being taken in response to theft data and for that reason only. These additional security measures allow us to improve the availability of products on shelves for customers,” the spokesperson added. Walgreens did not respond to questions about its policies that prohibit employees from taking action when they notice thefts.

Do you work at Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid or another major retailer and have a story idea you’d like to share? Contact this reporter at [email protected]