Woolworths shoppers have raised serious safety concerns about the supermarket giant's new anti-theft security gates, with reports of customers being trapped, children nearly struck, and elderly shoppers injured as the automated barriers malfunction.
The Guardian reports that the gates, which automatically close when suspected theft is detected, have been installed in dozens of stores across Australia as part of Woolworths' response to rising retail crime.
The gates work by closing rapidly when exit sensors detect unpaid items passing through. But customers report they're closing on innocent shoppers, trapping people between heavy barriers, and creating dangerous situations in crowded stores.
Mate, nothing says "we value our customers" quite like installing automatic prison gates that slam shut on pensioners because the algorithm got confused by a reusable shopping bag.
One Melbourne mother told The Guardian her young daughter was nearly struck by a closing gate after the system mistakenly flagged her purchase as theft. "The gate closed so quickly there was no time to react. If she'd been a step behind me, she would have been hit," she said.
Another customer reported being trapped between the gates for several minutes while staff struggled to override the system. The experience left her feeling "humiliated and distressed" despite having receipts for all her purchases.
Woolworths has defended the gates as a necessary response to retail crime, which the company estimates costs it over $1 billion annually. A spokesperson said the gates are "carefully calibrated" and that safety is a priority.
But the incidents highlight the tension between loss prevention and customer experience in an era of cost-of-living pressure. Shoppers are already frustrated by rising grocery prices - now they're being treated like potential criminals as they leave the store.
The gates are part of a broader escalation in supermarket security measures. Woolworths and rival Coles have both invested heavily in AI-powered security cameras, electronic tags, and staff training to combat theft. But the physical barriers represent a new and more confrontational approach.
