Warning Stickers on Burt's Bees: "Do not sell elsewhere"

Factual Questions
1

At the local inconvenience store (CVS), on the Burt’s Bee’s items (some of them at least, not all), they had a little sticker that said “To be sold at CVS store #11938, [ADDRESS], do not sell elsewhere or else!” or something like that.

Ummm, so why were those stickers on the products? And why not on all of the products they sell? Is there some kind of CVS fratricidal corporate war going on between different locations, trying to steal beeswax-based bath products?

Is there some kind of black market in Burt’s hand creme I don’t know about?

I don’t get it.

2

If you work at another store then it’s clearly none of your beeswax.

3

I’ll sometimes see similar stickers on products at Walgreens, such as deodorant or shampoo. The stickers say something like, “For Sale Only at Walgreens”. I’m not sure of the exact reason for these sorts of stickers, though I have to assume that it’s in some sort of attempt to cut down on products being shipped or sold elsewhere.

4

Did you get an exceptionally good deal? It may be that CVS has worked out some arrangement with Burt’s Bees that allows CVS to sell their products for retail prices that are less than the wholesale prices that some other locations receive. In that case it is important that someone from one of these other stores doesn’t just buy up a bunch of hand cream and sell it themselves.

5

There was a case recently in the city of Mt. Clemens, Michigan, wherein a downtown convenience store was accused of re-selling items stolen from (IIRC) a CVS. I’m wondering if these markings are related to a similar operation in your locality?

6

Or to stop employees from “losing” boxes of product and those boxes suddenly showing up at the KwikiStop down the block a week later.

7

I really think that it is this. I have seen other stores besides CVS do this. Last week a bottle of Vodka I purchased from Albertsons had a similar sticker inviting me to call if I saw this for sale some place other than Albersons.

8

Because anyone trying to sell a product cannot manage to remove a sticker beforehand?

9

I understood it to be that each individual product had a sticker, which would really make it less cost-effective to have to take all of them off.

10

Not to mention that the thought of having to scrape off stickers and risk damaging the product packaging might deter theft for resale purposes.

11

It’s theft control.

12

For legal resale, the first sale doctrine would apply, barring contractual agreements against it.

13

I’ve seen such a sticker on liquid hand soap from CVS, so it’s not limited to Burt’s Bees.

14

Loss prevention. There was a show on recently about organized shoplifting and the problem it’s become for stores. The stolen merchandise is then resold at flea markets and such. I would guess the stores are adding the stickers to their most-often-stolen merchandise.

15

why would a sticker prevent theft and resale?

16

The ones I see aren’t a separate sticker, they are printed right on the label.

17

So did you call Alberson to inform them of Albertson’s apparent scam?

18

A lot of shrinkage occurs because of employee theft. A LOT. And the Burt’s Bees products are generally fairly high in value for their size. So if an employee can divert a box or two, s/he can probably get a good price for it.

19

Just wanted everyone to read that again… :~}

20

At least around here, the message is printed on the extremely sticky stickers that set off the detectors at the door. It’ take more than a quick tug of the fingernail to remove the sticker; long enough to (theoretically) get notice on camera.

Thissays CVS, but they look identical to the ones Walgreens uses here.