Target locked products up to reduce losses. Was it worth it?

Plus: The Star Tribune holiday cookie contest is open 🍪 [Plus: The Star Tribune holiday cookie contest is open 🍪] View this email as a [web page]( [The Minnesota Star Tribune](   [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA Good morning, Minnesota! Come sit next to me and pour yourself some tea ☕ On to the news 📢 [Eder Campuzano] By Eder Campuzano TODAY’S TOP STORIES - [In first court appearance, driver charged in Park Tavern crash says his alcohol use is not a problem]( - [What’s going to get employees back to the office? A golf simulator alone won’t cut it.]( - [As Gov. Tim Walz campaigns across the country, how much time is he spending governing Minnesota?]( - [Check out the California-inspired burger joint opening next week in the former Galaxy Drive In]( - [Yuen: How Minnesota’s No. 1 apple changed the industry — and the taste of apples to come](   Target locked up products to curb shoplifting. Was it worth it? Sara Nevis/The Sacramento Bee Target, like many other retailers, has taken steps to reduce "shrink" — in other words, losses stemming from shoplifting, employee theft and other incidents that keep the company's inventory from making it from the truck to the register. You've probably come across one of the more irksome practices the retail giant has implemented: Waiting for busy employees to open a glass case full of deodorant is no one's idea of a good time. “It is super inconvenient, and it also kind of destroys the shopping experience,” Kate Gallagher of St. Paul told reporter Nicole Norfleet. “It feels like Target is treating its clients like criminals, and we’re not. We’re just customers.” Another shopper told Norfleet that the locked cases make it feel like the retailer is turning its stores into "a museum of deodorant, toothpaste, laundry detergent, shampoos and vitamins.” But executives say the practice, plus others like better coordination with law enforcement and carts that lock if they stray too far from the parking lot, have helped curb the increase in shoplifting and other shrink. Norfleet has more on how Target has worked to [reduce its losses and how it's affected the customer experience here](.     GOING OUT - [Critics’ picks: The 14 best things to do and see in the Twin Cities this week]( - [Review: Weezer goes ‘Blue’ in latest Gen-X package tour to pack a Minnesota sports venue](   [Share this newsletter with friends]( Do you enjoy Essential Minnesota? Encourage your friends and family to [sign up](. You also can share it using the links below.   This is not a drill — the Minnesota Star Tribune's holiday cookie contest is open First things first: Yes, I know it's a little early to start thinking about Christmas and the rest of the winter holidays. I'm the first to roll my eyes when Mariah Carey insists Nov. 1 is when we should start spinning "All I Want For Christmas Is You" on repeat. (Let Thanksgiving have its moment!) But proper planning prevents poor performance, so in that spirit, it's pertinent to proclaim that the Minnesota Star Tribune's holiday cookie contest is now open. Besides, you only have until Oct. 16 to submit your recipes. Taste Editor Nicole Hvidsten has [all of the details here](. Dennis Becker/The Minnesota Star Tribune MORE FROM THE MINNESOTA STAR TRIBUNE - [Twin Amur tigers are first to be born at Como Zoo in more than 40 years]( - [The updated Minnesota Top 20 high school football rankings come with an explanation]( - [Lynx forward Napheesa Collier is WNBA Western Conference player of the month]( THIS WEEK IN NATURE Brian Peterson/The Minnesota Star Tribune Watch out for those hummingbirds. The diminutive flyers are migrating and they're visiting flowers and feeders as they head from their nesting areas up north to their winter-time homes in Central America and Mexico. You'll read about all of that and more in the latest [This Week in Nature feature from our Outdoors Desk here](. IN OTHER NEWS - [Richfield Schools will pay $300K to settle discrimination complaint after shooting]( - Sahan Journal - [I’m (nearly) broke and I’m hungry. Can I be a vegetarian?]( - Racket - [Changes in Twin Cities commute patterns foster changes in Metro Transit’s bus network]( - Minnesota Reformer     THE MINNESOTA GOODBYE u/waltuhsmite via Reddit There's a bit of a learning curve to living in Minnesota. The first time La Jefa and I booked a campground, we were amazed to find a bevy of open spots around Lake Maria in August. That's typically a pretty busy time for most any campground in Oregon. It turns out it was also a great time to be a mosquito hunting for dummies who want to watch a meteor shower. That's why this post from Reddit user waltuhsmite hits so hard. You never know what's happening just around the corner once you've set your plans. A few weeks ago, we encountered heavy traffic en route to Duluth when intense road construction met the crowds heading up for a music festival. Alas. Maybe someday I'll perfect the art of proper planning. Thanks for reading Eder Campuzano, reporter David Taintor, editor     [Premium digital access] GET IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO EVERY STORY [Premium digital access] GET IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO EVERY STORY [Subscribe]( SHARE THIS NEWSLETTER [Email]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Manage email preferences]( • [Subscribe to Star Tribune]( • [Privacy Policy]( [Unsubscribe from this newsletter]( [Manage]( your preferences | [Opt Out]( using TrueRemove™ Got this as a forward? [Sign up]( to receive our future emails. View this email [online](. 650 3rd Ave. S. Suite 1300 | Minneapolis, MN 55488 US This email was sent to {EMAIL}. To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.