Bed, Bath and Beyond tips from a very helpful follower
As always, use these tips at your own risk. The person who sent me this told me to just copy/paste and not include their url (they aren’t a lifting blog). They work at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Thank you so much again!!!!!!!
Personally, I’ve only lifted 4 times or so from BBB, and this matches up to what I’ve experienced, so! On to the tips.
“Just to put a slight disclaimer on all of this: my tips and observations are based on my BBB. There very well may be variations with how things are, but generally I’m trying to give useful advice for all of the BBBs.
The stores are set up as follows: there is a hard side (kitchen and dining) and a soft side (bathroom and bedroom). In a few there will be a world market that sells food (if you have one of those none of the food is tagged obviously so go crazy).
On the least busiest times like weekdays the typical number of employees on the floor is as follows: 2 SAs on hard, 2 on soft, 1 on market if you have one, 1 at the registry desk, 1 MOD (manager on duty aka the head honcho at the time), 1 front end supervisor (they monitor the registers and customer service desks), and usually 1 cashier. Often SAs get called from their sides to ring people up if the lines start getting long. Every SA is supposed to carry around a walkie, but nothing important will be said that you’ll need to know. It’s all just people calling ladder codes and asking if anyone knows where a product is.
On the busiest times like weekends and the holidays the set up is typically as follows: 2/3 SAs on hard, 2/3 on soft, 2/3 on market if you have one, ½ at the registry desk, 2 MODs, ½ front end supervisor, and usually 2/3 cashiers. To be real all the workers are going to be busy and actively doing things. Some are better at keeping an eye on customers than others. Like I said, often SAs are called up to be on register, so there may be times sections of the store are cleared of SAs wondering around. Still be weary obviously though because as soon as the line up front is cleared they’ll be back.
This applies mostly to mine and I’m not sure about elsewhere, but most of the cameras seem to be located up front at the registers. I’m not even sure if they work and no one else seems to know. Regardless I advise to be safe and look for blind spots. The one camera I know that works and actively films is the camera monitoring the entrance of the store. This camera is in color and fairly detailed.
There are a lot of blind spots in the store. Everything in general is just kind of cramped together so finding a blind spot away from SAs and other customers shouldn’t be difficult. Just don’t be stupid or lazy about it.
There are three types of security tags: 1. Those little rectangular white sticker ones. Just remove them. They’re often kind of randomly placed on some products, but they are always on Yankee candles. 2. Those magnetized annoying big pin things. They’re often on bedding and curtains and such. Those are harder to remove obviously so be careful. 3. Spider wraps are used, but really not very often at all. Like I don’t even remember how to remove them at the register when checking someone out, that uncommon. They’re going to be on boxes of appliances usually. There are security towers at the entrances and exits that absolutely positively work so try not to fuck up with the tags. If the towers go off when you try to leave, you’ll be stopped and have your cart or bags or whatever and check your receipt. It’ll be assumed something wasn’t demagnetized properly so they’ll try and do that for you.
If you plan on buying shit to cover your lifting (probably a good idea incase towers go off), don’t hide merchandise inside of trash cans or laundry bins. The register reminds us to look inside of them, and if it rattles or feels heavy obviously we’ll know. Taking expensive pillows and replacing them with cheap pillow plastic coverings or like doing the same with sheets or table cloths isn’t a good strategy either, because we try and scan the actual product barcode inside of the packaging if it’s been opened.
Hiding shit inside of other shit is only a good idea if you’re hiding small products inside of larger appliance boxes. Don’t try to slip things into sheet folds or table cloths because it’s pretty obvious when you try to do that just saying.
Knives and razors are locked and need a key to be opened. The product will then be taken up front to customer service to hold for you until you’re ready to check out and leave so there’s no chance to lift those.
BBB has a strict no chase policy. Like very very strict. Associates can be fired for trying to pursue or stop a runner. I don’t believe MODs have the ability to stop you either. Really we can’t even accuse you of stealing I don’t think. I don’t think we call the cops either.
Basically if they know you’ve stolen something, your description and any other info they can get on you (license plate number, what you stole, that kind of stuff) will be compiled and emailed to the surrounding BBBs, where it’ll often be printed out and put into a binder for the MODs and front end supervisors to review.
Okay so here’s important info about being caught in store stealing: we can’t accuse you or tell you to put things back. Basically what we have to resort to is scare tactics. What will happen is these two things separately or together:
1. If you start getting customer serviced to death they’re on to you. And I’m not meaning like someone will come by every so often and ask if you need help. I mean like you’re getting bombarded with workers asking you if you need help or standing there trying to talk to you about something. 2. If you here an announcement saying “security call -insert number here-“, it means they’ve witnessed a customer stealing. We don’t have a security at all and this is just used to scare shoplifters into thinking security is going to come get them. It doesn’t automatically mean you’ve been caught if you hear that. I mean someone else might have been spotted. But if you hear that and you start getting customer serviced to death, then they know it’s you doing it.
In either case to be on the safe side, drop your shit and leave immediately. Even if you just hear the announcement but no one is bothering you, employees are now on high alert and will be watching and checking things out. It’s not safe anymore to lift there. I mean really the biggest risk is a rogue worker trying to play the hero and stop you or having your info taken down and distributed, but just be smart and safe about this shit.
BBBs #1 policy is to make the customer happy and employees are urged to take extra care to make sure you’re satisfied. If you start making a fuss or being loud and irate, everyone will just try and get you out the door in the easiest way possible, so you might want to use that to your advantage.
Also idk where to put this but BBB doesn’t give out spare shopping bags so don’t try that strategy.
Okay I covered everything I can think of. Sorry if this isn’t really that useful or anything, but I figured some information is better than nothing. The biggest thing I know was lifted from our store is a huge toaster. Like one of those ones that toasts like 4 slices of bread at once. They took it right out and left the box and left undetected. I’d advice sticking to small products, but if you want to go big I don’t know have fun. So good luck and stay safe and smart guys.”
This person IS NOT a role player, and is someone who actually works at BBB. But as always, use at your own risk and always use common sense!
Happy lifting :~)
