How to Master the Walk Out Method
• I have two big reusable bags from Babies R Us that I got from people at my baby shower. Later when I went to their store, I saw that they run from around 1-3 $ depending on what size you want. (not that you can’t just fold it up and put it in your purse)
Other stores that sell reusable eco-friendly bags: Toys R Us, Tj Maxx, Kohls, Jc Penney, Gordmans, Old Navy, Hyvee, Whole Foods, Kroeger, Target, Wal-Mart, Walgreens, CVS.
1. Why is it different to use eco bags? I find it a lot more unsettling concealing items into my purse than my ebags. When you are putting items into an ebag I’ve noticed that other shoppers around you don’t even look at you twice. Shoppers just think you’re being economically friendly. You won’t have to be nervous or have shaky sweaty palms as you desperately look for an empty isle with a handful of nail polish and foundation. Without having to find a new spot to conceal every time you just fill up your bags calmly and collectively while others still shop around paying little to no attention to you at all. This is especially good to do when you need groceries, or need a huge haul you’ve been planning. If you still feel a little unsettled, then wait until you get to your blind spot to start bagging your groceries into ebags.
2. Don’t forget:
• You still need to check for tags! Unless you 100 % know your store of choices policies and have scoped out the store prior to your lifting day, then only sometimes it may be okay to beep.
• Regarding the possibility of beeping, you should always try to walk out of the store next to another family/grocery shopper.
• Always pay special attention to suspicious footsteps, voices, beeps over the intercom, announcements over the intercom, and walkie talkie calls. You’re still shoplifting!
• A new method is no excuse for becoming sloppy, lazy or greedy. Take only what you’re sure you need!
• Do your research on source tags if you know for sure something expensive you’re planning on getting away with. A friend of mine didn’t know that the $ 60 crest white strips were source tagged.
• Always assume you’re being watched. Be calm, cool and collective and if you can’t fill your bags without being super nervous and distraught, you probably shouldn’t do it. The key is to be nonchalant and calm. Think about when you go grocery shopping with your parents. Do you pay attention to other grocery shoppers? Probably not. They aren’t paying attention to you. They are making sure they get their spring rolls and potstickers.
• If you need too, look for cameras, people, SAs, and LP with your eyes only .
• Always be considerate, friendly, polite and courteous. Employees, security, SAs and will always remember a bitchy customer over a polite customer. This comes with your next topic:
3. Dressing for the Job: Notice what the average shopper is wearing and dress like them. Being professional, well dress, groomed, speaking clear understandable English, with a friendly outgoing attitude is the best illusion you could give. The object here is not to draw any attention to yourself. You want Loss Prevention to be watching the other guy. Every store and every area will be different. A “high end” department store will have better dressed shoppers then a discount or home improvement store. No matter what, always wear clean cloths, bath, comb your hair, and have a clean respectable look. (Copied from an older thread)
4 a. Stores that have worked easiest for me: Hyvee, Target, Wal-mart, Kroeger.
4 b. Why they work easiest for me: This is just my personal opinion, it depends on how comfortable you are. At hyvee they do their lunch buffet and have hot food and a seating area available to eat. Kroegers has a Starbucks inside. At Target and Wal-Mart there are fast food joints in the stores, garden exits and wedding/baby registries. When I’m getting ready to leave I will always stop and do something as a distraction … Get a snack, drink, ice cream, or print off a registry or even walk around the garden area… Basically do whatever i want as an “exit distraction”… eat/drink/ print before getting ready to walk out of the store and then looking over an old receipt. I like this the best. On days were I have more time to spare and don’t have any frozen groceries or milk, sometimes I sit down in the seating areas of these snack places and check fb/tumblr on my phone and eat. Then I leave.
4 c. If you don’t want to buy a snack, don’t have any food shops inside, or simply want to get in and get out: pick an empty check out isle and just walk down that isle and leave.
5. Beeping: Walking out of the store you should always try to have a receipt on hand. This will make it easier to get out quicker if you flash a receipt at an SA since a lot of stores technically the SAs aren’t supposed to stop you, more of a manager or LP will need too. This goes back to dressing for the job. If you have a receipt, look clean and well dressed, SAs will more than likely wave you out. You don’t want to look like a shoplifter! Your last tip will be to always walk out close to a family or another shopper with many bags.
Always stay safe you little liftkittens! I hope this helps some of you. This is my favorite method to use!
