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https://theconversation.com/how-stores-fighting-thieves-risk-putting-off-shoppers-with-disabilities-and-kids-271397>
"“Welcome”, the sign at the supermarket entrance says, above a drawing of a
shopper walking in and pushing a trolley.
But for many shoppers – especially those with wheelchairs, walkers or pushing
kids in prams – it looks anything but welcoming.
Ten white batons stretch into the middle of the entryway, which you have to
push through to enter. A Reddit user snapped the photo at a Woolworths store in
suburban Melbourne this month and it soon went viral.
According to Woolworths, it’s a trial at just one store, being tested to see if
deters thieves.
Retail theft is a huge, growing problem in Australia. There were more than
268,000 cases of theft in retail settings last year, according to data released
in September. That came after 2024 research found record levels of shoplifting,
employee theft, fraud and customer aggression costing up to A$7.79 billion.
Woolworths is not alone in trialling tougher physical security measures; other
supermarkets here and in New Zealand have used this style of entry before.
Kmart, Bunnings and other retailers are also testing new styles of security
gates.
But as researchers in disability discrimination and inclusive planning, this
new Woolworths entry appears to be the most overtly hostile – and potentially
unsafe – design we’ve seen in Australian retail to date.
If this is where retail security is headed, it could have unwelcome, unintended
consequences for millions of Australians."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
