[darthno.ytmnd.com]

most retails stores have this policy, its mainly for security purposes so you arent scoping out their cameras or taking a layout of the store. i agree, it could hinder sales and can be an inconvenience to a consumer like you, but they are mostly trying to protect their store. i guess that outweights the lost sales and customer service issues.

As someone responsible for doing POGs, I have to deal with this all the time. Going into stores like WalMart, Best Buy, Target etc. and looking at store displays and sheliving to get the product layouts. I usually take a piece of paper and sketch out basic facings, and amount of shelf space for different products and manufacturers. Sometimes I also have to take pictures.

I also have to do occasional price surveys where I have a list of 100 items or so and compare how Wally World and Target are versus military stores. That is really uncomfortable.

I haven't been thrown out of a store yet, but a lot of my coworkers have at some point. I'm guessing that's probably another reason they are all protective.

i would suggest that if you are taking a photo is a store for any of those reasons you mentioned, which seem very valid, that you ask an employee for permission FIRST. ive found most stores are willing to accomodate photos if they control what you are taking a picture of.

@public enemy #1: What is a POG?

When you take a picture of a retail item you steal it's sole, thus devaluing the item itself.

Not to mention what the russians would do with that picture of the blender...

@Myron: A planogram. You use software to design a section of the store with what products they should carry and then you send it to the individual stores.

Yeah, my photo professor told us about this. Stores will often not permit you to take pictures because you could be another company trying to recreate their layout, like others have said..

Makes sense, though it's not gonna stop many people.

what kind of trade secrets can they have at an 'open to public' retail location?
i accept trade secrets in places like manufacturing facilities or R&D departments or even software inside of POS cash registers. but to forbid photos of a product sitting on a retail shelf visible/accessible to anybody by claiming trade secrets is retarded.
if it's a trade secret, they shouldn't be selling that item because once i buy it I'll know all the "secrets" it'll have.
Real industrial spies won't try to save $29.99 on a coffee grinder.

You know how many times I've snapped a photo while shopping to see if a design or a color was ok! Just take the shots anyway, if they want to toss you out right before you buy something then let them.

I work retail and I would never tell a customer no to taking pictures. Sometimes you just do not enforce certain policies no matter how much you are paid. *Cough*checking receipts at the door*Cough*

The risk of offending a customer is much higher than from someone taking a photo to spy on what you are doing.

Customer share their good experiences on average with 4 to 5 people. Customers share their bad experiences on average with 10 to 15 people.
What kind of experiences would you want customers to have?

@public enemy #1: DING DING DING!!! We have a WINNAH!

I used to work for BB&B (in store and corporate). This is the exact reason why they do not allow photos in the store.

I take photos in stores all the time. I have gotten some double takes from store staff before. I do so frequently at Lowes or Menards. I run across a light fixture, tile, fencing, or other visual things for our house. Since I stink at describing things and my husband does not understand if I tell him something is chartruse green I will grab a picture and just show him instead.
Or I see some item on sale so I send him the picture and then call to see what he thinks. That way I can pick something up without it disappearing or needing a second trip across town.

What next? Will they throw out customers who use price notebooks to grocery shop? Will I get tackled for looking up window sizes when buying blinds in home depot because I have my phone out?

How about you load your carriage up with a little moderate to pricey merchandise and push it around as you grab your snapshots. If they throw you out, tell them you'll buy this stuff from across town where they treat customers better. If they acquiesce, tell them thanks for wising up, but it's still cost them a sale.
Also, put the stuff back if you're not stopped. Otherwise it's just kinda rude.

Do it discreetly. I find it hard to believe there is a store employee looking over everyone's shoulder to enforce this.

I don't see why stores can't differentiate between taking a pictures of a couple items you want vs. someone who is going down every aisle taking pictures.

I also take pictures in stores all the time. Figuring out how to turn off the shutter sound on my phone was one of the smarter things I ever did. I also tend to make it look like I'm dicking around with my phone instead of taking a picture. It's not that difficult to obscure what you're doing.

I worked at Wal-Mart when I was in college, pre-cell phone cameras. We were supposed to stop people from writing down prices(!!!) because it might be someone from the Target across the street or the K-Mart next door trying to compete. We had a no picture policy too. I never saw anyone trying to take pictures that hadn't asked first, but I guess it probably happened sometimes.

If I had a clerk tell me to leave the store because I took a picture, that would be all the comparison shopping I'd need to do. It's akin to jotting down a model number or a price. Taking a photo of a food processor at Bloodbath and Beyond doesn't represent a security risk. I'll go buy it at a store that doesn't treat me like a criminal.

Yeah, when I worked for a big box toy store, we were informed that customers were NOT to take photos of any of our displays, for one, to stop other stores from taking our ideas/prices, but also to stop other stores from seeing our layout (Companies actually PAY for shelf space and positioning, and other companies might want to see whos paying us how much to be where...)

Isn't there a home depot or Lowe's commercial where a couple are taking pictures of a ceiling fan with their phone and using it to evaluate what it would look like in their room? If so could we use this to claim that they are encouraging this behavior?

Take pictures until they ask you to leave. Come back the next day or go to different store location. Problem solved.

I wasn't allowed to take a picture of my WEDDING DRESS after I had paid for it while they were still doing alterations. Because, they told me, if you take pictures, you could STEAL THE DRESS DESIGN from the designer and have it knocked off cheap somewhere else. Uh, not after I paid $3150 non-refundable, thanks.

They also told me dress designers refuse to allow you to take pictures of wedding dresses, ever, for any reason, ever. Either they were making shit up (ding!) or no wedding dress designers have ever been to an actual wedding with all the photographers and videographers and shit.

Most stores have this policy for valid reasons. Get over it! If you can take a discreet shot, more power to you. If there happens to be an employee nearby enforcing the no-photo policy, then it means that your planets were not aligned properly that day (or insert your own belief system here) and it's time to move on with your life.

Hey, Store People! You know that fancy technology you love, because it lets you screen people and gather personal information on them to sell later? Well, it's got a flipside.

Welcome to the information age, motherf*cker.

;)

@Chris Vee:

I thought of this as well when I was reading the article. I have seen that commercial as well.

I understand the comments about this being a standing rule intended for competitors, but this is a good example of technology changing the rules of the game. Now that nearly everyone has or will soon have a cellphone with a camera, consumer behavior is changing. People use cameras, phones, and web-enabled devices when they shop in stores now, and this behavior will only increase in the coming years.

The retailers that don't get this—the ones who resist adapting to technology trends that are larger than their own store policies—will end up with angry or offended customers and lost sales.

In defense of Bed Bath & Beyond, the associate who stopped me was clearly an unpleasant guy—he was officious, a bit rude, and got really freaked out and started trying to walk away from me when I began asking about the policy. A smarter associate would likely have watched to see whether I was taking photos of lots of things or just this one grinder. Still, I'd rather see the policy change than have rely on the kindness of competent sales associates.

USA Today writer Andrew Kantor has a great article about photographers rights. He basically writes there are very few places where photographs are prohibited. These are:

• Certain military installations or operations.

• People who have a reasonable expectation of privacy. That is, people who are some place that's not easily visible to the general public, e.g., if you shoot through someone's window with a telephoto lens.

Otherwise, you're free to take photos anywhere you want, even in public places that are privately owned. Of course, if you're asked to stop taking photos, you must comply or possibly face trespassing charges, but in no condition would you ever be required to hand over the camera, film, memory card etc. to a security guard or other store employee.

Here's what he writes about what you can shoot:

You can shoot pictures of children; your rights don't change because of their age or where they are, as long as they're visible from a place that's open to the public. (So no sneaking into schools or climbing fences.)

Video taping has some more gray areas because of copyright issues, but in general the same rules apply. If anyone can see it, you can shoot it.

And yes, you can shoot on private property if it's open to the public. That includes malls, retails stores, Starbucks, banks, and office-building lobbies. If you're asked to stop and refuse, you run the risk of being charged with trespassing, but your pictures are yours. No one can legally take your camera or your memory card without a court order.

You can also shoot in subways and at airports. Check your local laws about the subway, but in New York, Washington, and San Francisco it's perfectly legal. Airport security is regulated by the Transportation Security Administration, and it's quite clear: Photography is A-OK at any commercial airport in the U.S. as long as you're in an area open to the public.

Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

@j-yo: You are correct. The companies will just have to deal with the fact of losing customers as a result of their poor business practices. Do POGs matter all that much? Really? And the big box stores wonder why people prefer to shop online. The prices are cheaper and there is not as much hassle.

i think a spy from a competitor would be better equipped. i mean a cell camera? if i was a spy, i'd have a tie-cam, or hat-cam, and take real video vs. some still shots.

but someone also mentioned how easy it would be to act as if you are playing a game or texting. i would just play it off like that next time i'm price comparing.

First of all, they have every legal right to restrict photography in their stores. You are on private property and there is no established legal argument that can be made to contradict the right of the store to restrict photography.
That said, deal with it. Most stores have this policy and for good reason.
"spy's" come to stores all the time to scope out placement techniques, pricing, merchandising, layout, marketing, and more. They can then take that back to their own businesses (or sell that information to competitors) and essentially trample on intellectual property.
This is business 101, folks. It has been around for a long time and isn't likely to change. I used to run a fairly unique restaurant. Several times, I had to stop people from taking photos of our layout, our ovens, our POS systems, and our stations. If a person is asking if they can take a picture of them with friends, we would allow it (we'd offer to take the photos too), but if someone walks in and starts snapping off shots, we were instructed to speak up and ask the person why they were taking photos, then ask them to leave.
Simply put, there is no real advantage to allowing anyone to take photos of products and prices. It is only advantageous to price shopping consumers, who are more likely to take that price to another store and purchase it elsewhere.

@FitJulie: Easy to turn off the camera sound on an iPhone, just put it in Silent Mode by toggling the switch above the volume buttons. Actually, that's the only way to turn off the camera click that I know of.

Also, if someone tries to stop you, you can distract them by offering to show them your shiny iPhone.

@Mary Marsala with Fries: Agreed. This is the real issue. Isn't it BB&B, among others, that gathers phone numbers at checkout for data-managed marketing? I am so bone-weary of dealing with a consumer culture where the consumers are the bitches of the system that needs them.

I love having a phone with a front-facing camera. When I want to take a discreet photo, I turn around the phone so that it looks like I'm taking a random self-portrait when I'm actually taking a photo of the product (helps to live somewhere where the local Korean population will get out their cameraphones and take photos at the slightest provocation- these same Koreans are very "spendy" so it wouldn't be any good for the store to kick them out).

Recently, I went shopping for fabric for a friend. I took pictures of the different patterns available and emailed them to her, and she called while I stood in the store and told me which one she liked.

Sometimes I take pictures of something to think about buying it and show my husband, because I have a spending problem so I like to run things by him first.

There are enough legitimate reasons to take pictures. And if you're a spy, not being able to take pictures really isn't going to stop you. They still do visits to competition, and they draw or sneak pictures, or just memorize and report things. So you're not stopping the bad things, and possibly hurting your sales.

I think it makes sense to back off in this case.

@snazz: You surely dont mean the layout of product, you have got to be kidding if you do! Every Walmart I have been in here in Georgia hangs the bloody store layout papers on the shelf whenever there is a change (like for holidays). Sorry but posting the layout in public would negate any trade secrecy claim LOL.

@snazz: No, it's mainly because they want to prevent competition from knowing their layout/style/displayed inventory, not security purposes.

Corporate policy in virtually all stores is no pictures. If an employee says okay, it's probably because he doesn't really care.

I've held private events at a couple of high profile cosmetics stores in NY (rhymes with Mephora) and they also have a corporate policy against photos in the stores for the same reason.

The managers I worked with got special approval through corporate to allow photos during my events.

I'm fine with the no photo rule. Purchase the item you're interested in, then return it if the cost is too high, the color is wrong, the fit is off, etc. It costs them more to process a return than deal with the occasional "spy", but if that's their policy, live with it. Besides, it's really easier to comparison shop with the item in your hands than via a picture.

Really is a stupid policy, though. We've done pictures of furniture, etc so we can compare it to what we already have for matching purposes. I've never had problems, even at our local BB&B store.

The employee is correct. There ARE trade secrets practiced in store layouts, and there ARE people employed by competing stores to try to steal ideas. It's kind of silly, but it's the way the market is.

Is putting the pepper grinders next to the spice racks such a novel concept that retailers have to protect it like a trade secret?

Chris, I really have to ask, are you being efficient? When I go to buy an item of $$ consequence I do my research online first. I get the pricing, terms and return policy of the stores. I usually get it narrowed down to 1-2 retailers. I then pick up the phone and ask the clerk if they have the item in stock. And I favor stores who have the inventory of particular stores online.

With gas between $2.50-$3.00 gallon this strategy saves me money. The 10% disparity in price on retail pricing gets quickly eaten up driving around town looking. Why do that?

I carry my SLR everywhere I go

I ran into this problem only once

Him - "Sir you can't take photos..."

Me - "Show me where this 'policy' you mention is posted PRIOR to my entry to the store."

This happened to me at Home Depot some months back when I snapped a pic of a lamp and it's shade to see if it would jive in my house. The kid was dumbfounded by my reply and just walked away mumbling something.

If I ever got bounced out of a retail store for snapping a picture of something, you can best bet I wouldn't shop there again.

I always though pictures were not allowed in stores as a way to keep competition from easily recording pricing. I also thought there were store rules against lurking in a store with a note pad and recording prices. In any event -- taking a few pictures or a few notes should not usually be a problem. I think this employee went too far unless the writer spent an unusal amount of time in one section of the store.

@Eyebrows McGee:

I'm sorry...did you say $3150 for a wedding dress, or is that a typo?

There is no good reasons to refuse customer to take a picture of an item. Why?

Reason 1: If it's a spy to steal how your aisle are placed... there is a 1000 other ways than taking pictures to do that (Spy camera anyone?). If he's there to steal your price information... he can simply use a cellphone and call the HQ with product and price information and making it look like he's talking to it's wife. Etc... Etc... Etc...

Reason 2: It's a simple customer who want to have a second though before buying, want to compare online, want to show his/her wife.

They can't block you from taking pictures. I will be pleased to see them search you and show ID before going in a store. Just in case you MIGHT be a spy.

What's next? Checking your recipe after paying to make sure you didn't steal anything between the cash and the door? Oh... wait... they already do that.

I've seen the Bed Bath and Beyond employee handbook -- they STRONGLY reinforce "NEVER say no to the customer" and to "pass the buck" instead: let a manager handle conflicts, but as someone who works the floor, just send a customer with a problem up the chain of command.

Although the store associate in question may have been following "official corporate policy," it sounds like he was acting out of line in regards to never saying no (unless he was already a manager, maybe).

Moreover, BBB will do price-matching on any advertisements -- the associate should not have assumed you were taking a picture for a better price, but instead should have mentioned their price-match policy.

Actually, most stores and malls have a policy like this. Whether or not they actually enforce this policy is, of course, another matter entirely.

@JohnMc: Fair question. I live in New York City, and use public transportation. I waited until I was in the neighborhood on other business before I stopped in at Bed Bath & Beyond so that I wouldn't waste $ or time on a separate trip. And, of course, seeing products in person is a much different experience than viewing them online.

But yes, if I lived somewhere with a car culture, I would probably follow your suggestion and never venture out to "window shop" without doing research first.

@fejjnagaf: What?

@Eyebrows McGee: *cough* *sputter*

$3150 for a wedding dress? Yikes.

No offense whatsoever, of course, I just can't fathom spending that much on a dress.

Don't be so damned sanctimonious about what is a "good" reason and what is "bad" for business. Any business has a right to enforce and enact any policy which is not prohibited by law. Stores can ask you to leave for ANY reason, including taking pictures. If they do, then deal with it.

If you are in a store and want to take a picture, I would simply either take it, or, if you're one of the people who've responded in this thread and are aware that most stores have a problem with it simply ask if you can take a picture. How hard is it to ask a question? If they say no, walk out of the store and buy somewhere else.

There's more important things to worry about from big business than this.