I'm from WA but was in Portland 2 yrs ago. I don't know which Walmart I was in but a lot of merchandise was behind locked plexiglass doors. (There was a large homeless camp just outside Walmart's parking lot.) I was trying to buy a small bike part, $3. I did the page thing to get an employee to unlock the door. After he got it out, he wouldn't give it to me. He said he'd walk it to a register and then I could claim it and pay for it. I put up a stink, just felt so disrespected for a $3 item. He said the books showed that bike parts are one of the most stolen items at that particular location. Ah, it made sense to me then--homeless camp just outside the doors.

Theft is definitely a problem but hits the bottom line when they lock merchandise up. Who's going to sit and wait for an employee every time they need something then have to choose a register # to go claim it later. That's madness. I left the Portland store without buying the part (and probably $100 of stuff I was also planning on buying). And now avoid Walmart where I live in WA because they are doing the same thing, as more and more merchandise is behind locked doors.