Appearing to only apply to young children and teenagers, Lunardi’s Markets is once again implementing a backpack regulation in order to prevent stealing.
The policy works by having an employee ask the customer with a backpack to put it in the front of the store, typically near the checkout line and the exit.
The question of how effective the regulation really is comes to the minds of those who are regular customers at Lunardi’s Markets.
“I don’t think the no-backpack-rule is very useful because, as bad as it sounds, if kids are going to steal, they’ll figure out another way to accomplish it,” said Emma Weitz, a sophomore.
One factor of effectiveness is the consistency in which the requirement is applied.
“Sometimes, they don’t really seem to care about the rule, so if they’re going to enforce it, the employees should at least be regular about it,” said Jonathan Su, a sophomore.
According to students who frequently shop at the Carlmont Shopping Center, Lunardi’s Market is the only establishment that has this rule in place.
In addition to the policy targeting students, it creates a generalization that all teenagers are shoplifters and shouldn’t be trusted.
“I find it insulting that the employees assume I’m going to do something bad because I go there all the time and never have that intention,” Weitz said. “To add on, I wouldn’t be asked to put my bag down if I was an adult even though grown-ups have the same capability of shoplifting as teenagers.”
Although there are some that remain skeptical of the policy, many are taking into account what the objective of the policy is.
“A lot of high schoolers are sort of stupid these days, so I can understand Lunardi’s concerns,” Su said.
However, the intention of the goal doesn’t seem to justify the treatment for some.
“I still find it inconvenient and unfair due to the fact that walking in the store with a backpack isn’t allowed but shopping with a purse is even though the two are very similar,” said Sadie North, a sophomore.
While many simply accept the rule, others are finding solutions they believe would be a better fit for the situation.
Weitz said, “A better and more convenient way to prevent stealing would be to just install a scanner.”
