If you’ve been scrolling through social media posts about Walmart, there’s a good chance you’ve seen folks talking about alleged undercover loss prevention workers at the store.
Users online have dubbed these people “floor walkers.”
While it’s an eerie-sounding term that seems to have been lifted straight out of a post-apocalyptic series about the undead roaming planet earth, it’s really just a term used to describe a specific type of undercover shopper. Basically, some customers think loss prevention workers walk around the store, pretending to be fellow patrons, while they keep a watchful eye on whoever they think may be stealing in the store.
A TikToker named Shug (@realshugg) accumulated hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok by documenting the activities of purported floor walkers. And in his latest video, he believes he may have caught one of these floor walkers in the act.
“Y’all ask what is a floor walker it’s these feins Caught him in action,” Shug wrote in the text overlay of his video, which he capped off with a crying emoji.
His clip shows a man in a blue flannel shirt and baseball cap comically peaking from behind an aisle in what looks like an attempt to spy on another shopper.
“Who wants to get followed like this,” the TikToker captioned the clip.
@realshugg Who wants to get followed like this 😭😭#blowup #fyp #foryoupage #floorwalker #relatable ♬ Never Lose Me – Flo Milli
Shug’s video was viewed over 70,000 times.
“Bro is not discreet,” @yg.guac wrote.
“If I see this I would have a panic attack. I’m literally paranoid of ppl stalking harassing and staring at me. I’m not normal that would set me off,” @user1943111322023 added.
One Target customer resonated with Shug’s video and shared the tactic they used to get the alleged floor walker to leave them alone. “The other day I was in Target and I had a floor walker stand next to me so I asked him where the throw blankets were and got all mad and walked away,” they wrote.
Walmart has been investing heavily in loss prevention initiatives. Stores are reportedly installing new technology to help keep a watchful eye to curb shoplifting in its stores. The Arkansas-based retailer has simply opted to cease doing business altogether in some areas as it was losing too much money as a result.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Walmart via email and Shug via TikTok comment for further information.
