Shoplifting has always been a problem. My father managed a five-and-dime store when I was a small child. I remember seeing him get into fistfights with shoplifters. Once, he picked a guy up, turned him upside down, and shoved him into a trash can. What was odd about this was that he was not violent man but don’t steal his merchandise.*
Today, my Dad would have been in fist fights almost every day. Shoplifting over the last few years has gone from being a nuisance to a significant problem. As a result, major retail chains are closing stores in some of America’s biggest cities.
Walmart is closing eighteen stores (four in Chicago), Macy’s has plans to close 125 stores over the next three years, and Target is closing four stores. Best Buy is closing 20 stores, and CVS is closing 300 stores in 2023 and 2024.
What is going on?
District attorneys have been seeing shoplifting as a crime not worth prosecuting. As a result, there is little in the way of punishment for stealing.
Much of the shoplifting is conducted by organized shoplifting gangs. They invade a store and steal in quantity.
Self-checkouts are under-supervised so that people walk out with stolen goods.
And there is one other reason. Our social fabric is being torn. Politicians have always lied but not on this level nor in this quantity. When our leaders lie, they send a message that lying is okay.
There is some hope. Walgreens has made progress in limiting shoplifting. They have hired additional security and put much of their merchandise behind plexiglass. You must get a store clerk to unlock the cabinets if you see something you want (even toothpaste).
These closings are not good for America, employees, consumers or those of us who work in the toy and consumer products industries. Let’s hope things get under control soon.
*Of course, there was the time he took his shirts to a dry cleaner, and they tore all the buttons off. When my Dad complained to the owner, the owner said my Dad had cheap shirts (my Dad only wore top-level shirts). Then the dry cleaner said to my Dad: “See if you can rip the buttons off my shirt.” My Dad grabbed the man’s shirt and tore it in half. We never did business with that dry cleaner again.
This “crime wave” as a reason for all these store closings is a cynical and dangerous like perpetuated by the executives of these large retailers. I live in Chicago a block away from the Walgreens that recently closed at Damen/Milwaukee/North Ave. But there are literally 4 other Walgreens within 1 mile of my house. The store that closed tried all these things that no one goes to Walgreens for like a juice bar and hot food stations etc and was in a crazy expensive building. And once my wife found out that a generic drug she takes was 1/2 as much at the Jewel Osco pharmacy down the street we both switched. It’s just greed, online competition and bad business decisions. The CEO stated back in 2019 that they would be closing 200 stores, long before this “crime wave” started. The story they tell their shareholders is different than the one they tell the media. If you lie to your shareholders the SEC will come after you. Lie to the media well that’s just business as usual.
Same goes for Target. The stores they’re closing in New York and San Francisco have lower reported shoplifting (verified police reports) than nearby stores which are remaining open. In NY Target is actually opening two stores both approximately a mile from two that are closing.
In most of these cases shrinkage has stayed the same as a percentage of sales and the losses are from over expansion, under staffing, self-checkout theft (every big box that leaned into self-checkout saw an increase in unscanned item loss), employee theft and a surplus of product types people aren’t buying anymore. Blaming their losses on smash and grab violent crime is just cover.
We lock our door and any potential customer has to “knock for entry.” This is our first “test” to see if a person can follow instructions…we are a model hobby shop after all! This immediately establishes a personal connection and that we are watching and can’t just let anyone in… as we post ” We reserve the right to refuse service”. Previously we had a person walk in, grab a large boxed RC car, and walk right out. Totally agree that there are no longer consequences for actions. Greg Scherer/Pacific Rim Hobby.
Hate to tell you, but the reports of “rampant shoplifting” are pure copaganda by politically motivated players (including looking for increased police funding) and disingenuous retailers. The reality is stores such as Walgreens have been closing branches *more* in places *other* than San Francisco and such – but they want to underplay it to avoid the hit on their stock prices – hence the stories of “OMG!! Shoplifting!!”. Actual analysis of police reports of incidents, etc, show there is virtually *no* increase, and often a *decrease*.
Be careful of motivated sources.
Hats off to your dad. I feel the same way when people rip me off, but but if I acted on that today, I’d be the one who ended up in jail, attending anger management courses, etc.