At least two Walmart locations in Anchorage — the Dimond Walmart and DeBarr Walmart — are now keeping Spam and other staples, such as canned corned beef hash, in a locked display. Shoppers must press a button and ask for a store employee to help them if they want to buy the canned meat product, which is popular in rural Alaska and in homeless encampments around Anchorage. Culturally, the spice ham in a can is very popular among Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.
TikTok video user @akwildrose_beadwork documented the Anchorage display, as she was planning on buying Spam for her breakfast menu.
The employee explained that certain cans are kept at designated registers, such as register six, rather than allowing customers to place them directly in their carts.
This practice of locking up high-theft target items is part of a broader trend among retailers like Walmart to combat the shoplifting. It’s not just guns that are behind locked cabinets anymore. It’s now becoming more common to lock up every-day staples.
