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Comment by georgemcbay | Hacker News Reader

The guy we really need to find and punish is the one who invented "rigid plastic clamshells".

The kind that "conveniently" transforms from product packaging into a razor-sharp weapon while you are trying to open it.

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Clamshell packaging was made for retail shelves. To prevent shrinkage and increase product visibility, it was designed to be transparent while simultaneously difficult to open.

The explosion of Amazon and other online retailers made the advantages of clamshell packaging moot. However if you are a manufacturer, it may not be economically feasible to produce two different types of packaging for different retailers so lowest common denominator wins out.

Amazon has tried to combat clamshell packaging[1] with a few manufacturers (Fisher-Price, Mattel, Microsoft), but it has yet to be adopted by the rest of the manufacturing industry.

[1]: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/03/amazoncom-cuts-pack...

> To prevent shrinkage and increase product visibility,

Which is also a feature to discourage shoplifting.

Shrinkage is shoplifting.

I believe shrinkage is most commonly used by retailers to mean theft by employees. Shoplifting is customer theft.

Shrinkage encompasses all of the above [1]. The retailer I worked at for a few years (::shudder::) used this definition.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrinkage_(accounting)

Shrinkage is any loss of product, hence shrinkage of inventory.

(I worked at a grocery store for four years, the same company my dad has worked at since 1977)

Out of curiosity, what did you think 'shrinkage' meant in that context?

I read the original comment and (before scrolling down) was tempted to chime in that 'in this context, shrinkage means "theft"' before realizing the discussion had already been had.

I could very easily see someone as having read that as physically shrinking in size, perhaps due to compression by repeated handling, as would happen in a store, or heat or other uhhh... harsh environmental factors commonly found in retail establishments. (Sorry, I couldn't think of a second good excuse)

Wow yeah I was really confused. English is my third language and I can often figure words that I don't know from the context except that in this case I interpreted 'shrinkage' as some kind of a tendency do produce smaller products (electronics get smaller for instance). And I thought ok it seems a large package makes the product more visible on the shelves. Then I thought "ok" actually a large package would be hard to sneak under one's shirt. So it would be good for that as well.

"English is my third language"

I don't think that's the problem - I had no idea what shrinkage is and:

- English is my first language

- I've worked in retail (though I rarely paid attention back then)

At first I thought it mean preventing packages from breaking when they are piled one on top of another for storage. To preserve fragile products inside.

note: i am an idiot and don't know what "shrinkage" means, disregard this post.

Shrinkage = shoplifting, employee theft, damaged product, vendor fraud, price errors in favor of customers... the hard plastic shell mitigates all of these.

why does clamshell pacaging prevent shop lifting? it's not like the packaging is tied to the shelf

But the package is quite large and rigid and thus relatively hard to conceal.

Also when stored like this: http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BB&...

you can put a lock on it as well.

If you're a young whippersnapper, you might not remember the horror that was the CD long box, designed to make compact discs harder to shoplift, back when people stole music that way.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longbox

> while simultaneously difficult to open.

I think we can all agree that someone overshot that target by a long range. Every single time I ask myself, "now how can I open this without damaging neither the package's content nor myself in the process?"

Sharp scissors and a lot of patience. Never try to open one without them.

Of course, your scissors don't stay sharp for long because the plastic is hard enough to blunt them pretty quickly :/

Use a can opener around the sides of it. For most clam shells, the top will then just lift right off.

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