Forbes Taps InVue to Learn About the Next Generation of Access Control

In this month’s Forbes article, staff writer Lauren Debter describes the retail industry’s rush to lock things up—from razors to soap to socks and pistachios— as theft has soared during the pandemic.

“They don’t want a terrible experience for customers, but it’s out of this sense that they need to do something, and they need to do something now,” said InVue’s Chris Gibson, chief product and marketing officer.

But unsurprisingly, frustration among shoppers is on the rise as quick trips to the store are becoming the exception.

One customer interviewed for the article describes how a recent trip to Walgreens to restock on face wash ended up as a huge inconvenience. Like many customers, she says when she does need to go to a store in person, it’s because she needs an item right away. And while retailers are aware of the impact this can have on sales, they need a way to get out of a siege mentality before it’s too late.

“I think the retailers that did take some drastic actions to lock things down throughout this period will start to regroup and say, okay, this is not the best experience, and let’s see how we can balance that.”

As retailers try to reduce the friction for shoppers in stores, technologies that can achieve this balance in a way that still safeguards against the reality of organized retail crime can’t come fast enough.

Among the top retail technology innovators who are answering the call, InVue has seen a surge in demand for the company’s new LIVE Locks, which allow store associates to open any locked case with a smartphone. Sales of the company’s smart locks category have jumped 86% year to date, after climbing 31% last year.

To learn more, read the full article from Forbes and see what retailers are doing to make the in-store experience enjoyable again.