There have been a number of policy changes since the start of the pandemic which has led to a clash between consumers and retail workers around the United States. However, the latest incident is an example of people ruining convenience for everyone as this New Jersey Shoprite has gone from banning bags to now getting rid of their baskets.
The New Jersey bag ban has been in effect for a little over two months now, which leads to consumers having to be creative when it came to shopping if they wanted to avoid paying the small bag fee that stores were charging to receive a reusable plastic bag. However, some shoppers at ShopRite in Aberdeen had the not-so-brilliant idea that instead of bringing their own bags, they would just leave the store with the store’s own baskets.
Of course, once store officials learned that their hand baskets were vanishing into thin air they pulled them and are refusing to order more.
According to NJ.com a ShopRite employee who didn’t give their name commented on the issue by stating “If we get more, people are going to steal them again.”
The Monmouth County store hasn’t been the only place to have issues of blatant thievery within the last year as Walgreens, Target, as well as other retail giants, have faced more serious shoplifting rates over the course of the last few years. So even though this might be just a handbasket it is serious all the same as it takes away something for someone who may need it. After all, it is there for the shopper’s convenience, but that doesn’t mean they’re yours to keep.
Despite it being 18 months since the bag ban was signed into law by Governor Murphy in November of 2022, stores reported that consumers, as well as some retailers, were unprepared for the shift, leading other ShopRite’s as well as other retail stores to face similar treatment of handheld basket theft.
The stores say that the baskets are expensive to replace, even more so now with rising inflation thus the decision to remove baskets until further notice. Keep up with all that’s happening within New Jersey by signing up for our News Letter so you never have a dull moment.