CVS is rolling out a pilot program in New York that lets shoppers use an app to open glass cabinets with their phone instead of summoning an employee with a button. The feature is part of the new CVS Health app and is available in three stores in the city: in Midtown East, the Upper West Side and Soho. The app feature is only offered to registered loyalty members and it allows customers to open the locked cabinets by themselves -- as opposed to pressing a button and then waiting for a worker to come and open it. Several years ago, glass cabinets were put in place at retailers around the country to combat theft, but sales have since gone down as more people move online to buy everyday items. Here's how it works: a shopper has to download the CVS Health app and be a member of their Extra Care program. After they connect to the store's WIFI, they can open the bar code and place it against the smart lock to open the cabinet. Eyewitness News reporter Pedro Rivera couldn't get the locks to open at two of the locations. Shopper Janaye Day lives near the CVS on the Upper West Side and said she too has had trouble opening the cabinets with the app. "I downloaded it like three weeks ago, it only worked for me once and I come here like three times a week," she said. A spokesperson for CVS said they are continuing to "test and fine tune the technology and user experience, with the ultimate goal of delivering more convenience and simplicity for consumers. CVS colleagues are available in stores to assist any customer during this pilot." The spokesperson said that there is "no system outage impacting the smart locks." CVS said they plan to expand the pilot program to 10 more locations on the West Coast, and if it is successful and the app is functional, it could go nationwide.
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