Retailers Step Back Into Time to Stop Theft
Asking a store clerk to retrieve goods from behind glass was a typical shopping experience until the early 20th century when the supermarket chain Piggly Wiggly changed everything.
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Photographer: J. A. Hampton/Getty ImagesBrick-and-mortar retailers have a shoplifting problem. At least, that’s the vibe in retail circles these days, with talk of an “epidemic” of theft as shoppers pilfer goods at an alarming rate. Whether real or simply a “moral panic,” the belief that store shelves will soon be stripped bare has prompted some retailers to lock up their goods, forcing shoppers to consult a clerk first.
If everything eventually gets put away, we’ll all get a taste of how our grandparents used to shop — something that will come as a rude awakening to anyone used to self-service shopping. How we got from then to now — and perhaps back again — is a little-known story far more interesting than our current obsession with shoplifting would suggest.