Frustrated Target shopper slams retail giant after it took her an entire HOUR to shop for a ‘single bag of essentials’  –  because all of the products were LOCKED UP to combat soaring crime

A frustrated shopper has criticized Target after claiming it took her an hour to buy one bag of items because the store had locked up the ‘essentials’.

Dr. Emily Long, from Boston, took to TikTok to attack the company for the policies it has implemented in an effort to tackle theft.

She said the retailer had locked all of her daily items behind glass cabinets, which could only be opened by employees, which significantly delayed her outing.

And it looks like she’s not alone, as dozens of other social media users rushed to share their own thoughts on the matter.

In the clip, which has been viewed more than 1.6 million times to date, Emily speaks directly into the camera to convey her problems.

She begins, “The era of the Target run is officially over, because tell me why this only took me a whole hour. This single bag of stuff.”

Emily then lifts up a plastic carrier before continuing, “I’ll tell you why, it’s because they’re essential — and apparently my Target is now locking down all essential items.”

“So while you could get La Roche Posay or $40 makeup, my $8 body wash was locked up, as was my deodorant and my husband’s body wash and his razors and the basic things I went to Target to get .’

The clip then cuts to inside the store as the content creator walks through the aisles to show off the products locked behind glass enclosures.

The plastic surgery resident joked, “Behold the dystopian nightmare that is now my target. Look at it.’

Emily looked back at the camera and concluded, “I, like many other former Target lovers, was planning on checking out their fall items—maybe sniffing out a candle or two, maybe buying one I didn’t need—but I was literally fighting for my life in that store.

‘I was so desperate to get out of there and when I finally get to the end there’s a huge queue because there’s only one worker left.

“A single employee did not open any cabinets and man the cash register, so the self-checkout line extended all the way to the back of the store.”

She uploaded it alongside a caption that read, “It literally felt like Target didn’t even want us to shop there anymore.”

And dozens of other Target shoppers echoed Emily’s sentiments when one said, “I thought this too!” The cheaper things are locked and the expensive ones are not. But I’m introverted and won’t ask for help!’

Another added: ‘I waited 20 minutes for someone to open the detergent cupboard for me. Never again.’

And a third said: ‘I couldn’t agree more! It’s been a year where I feel like all my local Targets have lost everything I loved about them.”

DailyMail.com has contacted Target for comment.

Earlier this year, Target announced it expected to lose $500 million a year to violent shoplifters.

Combined with a $700 million inventory reduction from last year — partly due to supply chain chaos, much of it caused by the pandemic — the retailer has seen as much as $1.2 billion go up in smoke.

Some workers say the problem is so severe that their stores are being robbed every ten minutes and has led to multiple store closures, especially in San Francisco.

For the past three years, items such as soap, toothpaste, mouthwash and other items have been kept under lock and key.

‘The unfortunate fact is that the number of violent incidents in our stores and across the retail sector is increasing. And when products are stolen, they are simply no longer available to guests who depend on them,” Target CEO Brian Cornell said on a call with reporters in May.

“Unchecked, organized retail crime degrades the communities we call home. As we work to address this issue, the safety of our guests and team members will always be our primary concern.

“In addition to safety concerns, increasingly poor shrink rates are putting significant pressure on our financial results.”