How CVS is solving the pain point of its locked display cabinetsHow CVS is solving the pain point of its locked display cabinets

CVS is testing a radical way of thinking about locked-up merchandise—let customers get it themselves. 

Alongside the launch of an updated app on Tuesday, the Woonsocket, R.I.-based retailer also announced that customers at some CVS stores will now be able to avoid the pain of pressing a button and waiting for a store clerk to assist them with locked-up merch. A feature in the new app will now allow them to unlock the merchandise without needing outside assistance.

The new feature is being tested in a handful of stores, CVS said. According to The New York Times, that test is specifically running in three New York City stores in a pilot that started in August. CVS had not yet responded to a request for comment.

Retail theft continues to remain a significant challenge, potentially costing the industry more than $140 billion in 2025, according to some estimates. Though retailers like Target and Walmart have recently reported decreased shink, retail theft continues to plague the industry as a whole. By 2026, researchers at Capital One project losses could surpass $150 billion.

But those locked cabinets can also slow sales. Earlier this month, Walgreens CEO Timothy Wentworth admitted that locking up more items to offset theft ultimately translated to a sales decline.

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CVS’ new app, branded the CVS Health app, is a successor to the CVS Pharmacy app and one of many initiatives underway at CVS Health which the company says it’s pushing to improve the overall customer health care experience. Additional app features that CVS says it plans to roll out this year include further integration with Aetna and Caremark, as well as a new conversational AI chat experience that allows users to check medication refills and order statuses.