Walmart customer reveals the embarrassing reality of shopping with a cart full of locked items

A woman shopping at a Walmart shared her frustration and embarrassment about having to carry around locked items, which comes after shoplifting increased big time in major American cities.

Esme, going by username kultruz on TikTok, said she understands if big retailers want to lock up makeup itself, which can be quite pricey - but says makeup wipes are a step too far. 

The brand she was purchasing retails for just over $6 at Walmart.

'I'm at Walmart and I get the locking up makeup and whatnot, but you're telling me you have to lock up some makeup wipes in this wire compartment?' she said in a TikTok video.

'I feel embarrassed carrying this around,' she said, showing off the product wrapped in a metal wire.

Esme is pictured complaining about her makeup wipes being locked up

It's not just Walmart locking up their inventory to prevent retail theft. Target, CVS, Walgreens and many other stores have resorted to chaining up items such as toiletries and medication.

The frenzy among giant retailers to protect their products from thieves has recently expanded to putting underwear and socks under lock and key.

Esme's TikTok, which racked up over 58,000 likes, served as an outlet for other consumers annoyed at the sorry state of the retail industry.

One user commented that this was 'ridiculous' and that Walmart 'might as well just have an employee escort you through the store.'

Others seethed in all caps that whenever you look for an employee to unlock the items you want to buy, they're either nowhere to be found or they take a long time to unlock the merchandise. 

The makeup wipes a shopper put in her cart at Walmart are encased in metal wire to prevent thefts

Shoppers can sometimes wait as long as 40 minutes to buy basic essentials like baby formula and body wash at major retailers in New York and New Jersey. 

Esme also filmed a number of toiletries in her cart that were sealed tight in a glass box, even after she'd put it in her cart. 

Typically, if shoppers want something like toothpaste or soap that's behind locked glass, they can call an employee over to get it out.

But another TikTok user, opie_petsitting, posted a video last week slamming Walmart for double locking the deodorant she wanted to buy.

'So after you get them to already unlock one of these counters they take the s**t that you bought and they stick it in another little case,' she said, filming three sticks of deodorant in an oversized glass case.

Amid elevated shoplifting and increased competition from online retailers, Walmart closed more than 20 stores in 2023. 

Walmart's war against theft continued in April with two locations announcing they'd be removing self-checkout aisles, which have been shown to be vulnerable to shoplifting.