SoylentNews

DannyB writes:

Home Depot Fights Shoplifting with Special Power Tools:

Home Depot has a clear message for professional shoplifters: Stay away.

The home-improvement chain is unveiling power tools that won't work unless they're properly scanned and activated at the register via Bluetooth technology. If a thief managed to smuggle a power drill out of the store without paying, the drill simply wouldn't turn on.

[....] "We certainly don't want to affect the 99.5% of our customers who are just there to pick up their hammers and nails," Glenn said. "We don't want to look like an armed encampment."

The new point-of-sale activation feature will allow the company to combat theft without significantly altering the shopping experience, Glenn said. After getting its suppliers, vendor partners, and internal IT team on board, Home Depot tested the feature at a handful of stores. It will now roll out to a broader assortment, with the goal of scaling to all of Home Depot's 1,988 US stores.

Glenn said he wasn't concerned about a potential rise in power-tool chop shops given that thieves are typically attracted by the prospect of an easy score and products with a high resale value.

"While these criminals are good at what they do, I think they're just going to go to the next easiest thing," Glenn said.

This tech could apply to to other items that must be activated in order to work: light bulbs, toys, breakfast cereal, etc.

Original Submission