Woolies explains ‘unappealing’ new security feature
A security measure spotted at a busy supermarket in Victoria has left some shoppers confused, prompting Woolies to speak out.
Shoppers have shared concerns after spotting a new gate at a Woolworths store in Victoria.
A Melbourne local shared a photo to Reddit, of a new set of gates at the entry of their local store.
“New entry gate being trialled at Woolworths,” they shared.
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But, commenters weren’t necessarily fans of the new design, with some saying it looked far from welcoming, and others comparing it to cattle grid gates.
“The word says welcome but the architecture says anything but,” one person shared.
“Mooooooooooooooo next up cattle grid,” said another.
“The idea of making the entry as unappealing as possible is definitely a strange concept,” a third agreed.
Speaking to news.com.au, a Woolworths spokesperson said that the gates are, for the moment, only in the Camberwell store, and are acting as a trial response to combat violence and theft.
“This is currently a trial in one of our stores as we explore new ways to respond to increased theft in our stores. We know the majority of our customers do the right thing, and we thank them for doing so. This is to deter those that don’t,” the spokesperson said.
“This new entryway is being trialled at our Camberwell store in Victoria, to test its effectiveness against thieves and how it resonates with others.”
Woolworths isn’t the only store which has had to up the anti when it comes to security measures recently.
A new-look 7-Eleven store was opened on Collins Street in Melbourne’s CBD last week with exclusively vending machines, in part responding to the high levels of retail crime in Victoria.
Entry and exit gates in Kmart stores have also recently become more widespread for the same reason. Bunnings, too, announced it would be trialling security gates in five Victorian stores last month in a bid to restore safety in stores.
These gates in particular are not new entirely, as it is understood they are used at other Australian retailers including Drakes, IGA and Spotlight, as well as internationally.
The spokesperson shared, however, that the gates will definitely be something to get used to, adding that there will be staff members to assist in the immediate future.
“We understand this will take time for local customers to get used to, which is why we’ll have a team member at the entrance for a number of weeks to help guide customers,” they said.
“We will carefully assess customer feedback on this trial.”
Commenters on the initial Reddit post shared concerns around accessibility, with a number of individuals with disabilities stating that these kinds of gates would be unusable for them.
“As a wheelchair user I look forward to being beaten and assaulted rhythmically for science,” said one person.
“That looks very unfriendly design for prams and wheelchairs!” another noted.
“Are these automatic or do they only move when you push through them? Can you imagine how bad these are for people with Seeing Eye Dogs/Guide Dogs or if you’re in a wheelchair or use any sort of mobility device?” said another.
It is understood that if a customer uses a mobility aid or is unable to use the entry for any reason, they would be encouraged to let a team member know so they can use an alternate entry.
Originally published as Woolies explains ‘unappealing’ new security feature
