Kmart Australia has commenced a security trial across flagship retail stores, locking cosmetics behind glass security cabinets in an effort to combat rising levels of retail theft.
The cabinets, seen in Kmart’s Broadway flagship in Sydney and Broadmeadows in Melbourne, allow the stores to display their beauty product range — including budget brands e.l.f. OXX Beauty and BYS Makeup — behind lock and key with a button to push for assistance.
Once pushed, the customer receives an electronic message saying, “we’ll open the cabinet for you shortly.”
The selected cabinet then lights up and automatically unlocks for the customer to access.
A spokesperson for Kmart Australia confirmed the trial is to combat retail theft and maintain store presentation standards.
“We’re currently trialling new beauty cabinets in selected Kmart stores, designed to support product availability and presentation for our customers,” the spokesperson said.
Kmart emphasised its dedication to listening to customer feedback throughout the trial, saying the retail giant is “always looking for ways to improve the shopping experience and create stores that our customers and team members truly love, as we continue to deliver on our purpose of making everyday living brighter”.
“Listening to their feedback is an important part of that, and we’ve been encouraged by the positive response so far. We’ll continue to listen and learn as the trial progresses.”
The security trial hopes to combat the steady increase of retail theft in Australian stores since 2020, with The Australian Retailers Association on reporting that shoplifting accounts for 39 per cent of inventory loss in 2026.
Comparable retailers have also recently taken measures to stop the product loss, with Big W introducing the Beauty Shop section in recent store upgrades.
The Big W Beauty Shop separates the cosmetics section with check outs, entry and exit points, increased surveillance and anti-theft product locks.
The move is being mirrored across big name retailers as theft increases alongside the cost of living.
Certain Coles and Woolworths stores have also started using a similar automated locking cabinet system for high-value beauty and personal items such as razors.
Meanwhile, pharmacy chains Chemist Warehouse and Priceline are opting to use lock bags for prescriptions and high-end skincare products whilst customers browse to deter shoplifting.