Woolworths shoppers concerned new anti-theft gates may trap them and hit their children | Woolworths
Security gate trial at Woolworths in Sydney leaves customers concerned for their safety; some said the low sticks “hit” children in the arms, legs and legs. face.
Maria, who was shopping with her two children at Woolworths in Bass Hill, south-west Sydney, on Wednesday, told Guardian Australia she noticed the new entrance “immediately”.
“The level they set is the level of children in strollers,” said Maria, who asked that her surname not be published.
“If you wanted to enter without hitting your child, you would have to enter backwards.”
Woolworths is trialling new anti-theft entry doors at six stores including Bass Hill in Sydney and Camberwell in Melbourne’s east.
Maria said she was surprised the door wasn’t temporary and told Guardian Australia that many parents with similar experiences had complained to Woolworths, asking it to reinstate the door.
Doors have two sets of rods that can only be pushed in one direction. Maria said she was especially concerned about children grabbing the sticks, which could bounce back onto the railings. Describing her one-year-old child, Maria openly said that she would play with them.
Susan, who asked that her surname not be published, has lived in Bass Hill for 50 years. He was caught off guard by this change and, like many others, felt uncomfortable.
“I thought I was going to get caught there,” he said. “I’m going to get stuck.”
Prior to the installation of the new doors, entrance to Bass Hill Woolworths was via a sliding door.
Customers in Bass Hill first noticed the change last week, but the first store to introduce this new entrance was in Camberwell, Victoria, where the doors have been in place since late last year.
There were serious reactions to the doors on the internet. A Reddit post with over 5,000 upvotes said: “These are coming back and they are about face level with a toddler”; Another, with 2,900 upvotes, said “these gates make you feel like an animal,” while a third, with 2,000 upvotes, said, “I wonder how disabled people will get through these security gates.”
When Guardian Australia told Woolworths about Maria’s experience, a Woolworths spokesperson expressed concern and said they would review the feedback while evaluating the trial.
Woolworths isn’t the only retailer to introduce new preventative measures in response to rising retail theft. IGA, Spotlight and Drakes use similar anti-theft doors in some stores.
A Woolworths spokesman said theft was one of the main drivers of violence and aggression towards team members.
The supermarket giant is scheduled to take legal action with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to defend its alleged pricing practices later in the year. Woolworths reported a 16% increase in profits in the past six months, from $739 million to $859 million.
Most of the eight customers interviewed by Guardian Australia in Bass Hill understood that the doors had been modified to prevent theft; One customer acknowledged that the entrance “will no longer be an escape hatch.” But they felt the convenience wasn’t worth the additional security.
“This is pretty frustrating,” Susan said.
