Posted on 05/20/2023 5:50:57 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
If we don’t fix this, will the retail industry be able to survive? There has always been shoplifting, but in the old days it was at a level that made it only a minor nuisance to the big box retailers. Unfortunately, now everything has changed.
Highly organized gangs have developed extremely sophisticated plans for how to rapidly loot our major retailers, and the best ones can be in and out in just minutes. Those goods are then resold online or in the streets, and the amounts that we are talking about are absolutely staggering. In fact, as you will see below, theft is now costing retailers in this country about 100 billion dollars a year.
This week, Target made headlines all over the nation when it publicly admitted that theft will cost it 500 million more dollars than it did last year…
Target said Wednesday that organized retail crime will fuel $500 million more in stolen and lost merchandise this year compared with a year ago.
Target’s inventory loss, called shrink, totaled about $763 million last fiscal year, based on calculations from the company’s financial filings. With the anticipated increase, shrink this year would surpass $1 billion.
Let’s do some math. 763 million from last year plus 500 million more this year equals 1.263 billion dollars. Please keep in mind that this is just one chain.
As Target CEO Brian Cornell openly admitted earlier this week, organized retail crime has become a massive problem “across the entire retail industry”…
‘The unfortunate fact is violent incidents are increasing at our stores and across the entire retail industry. And when products are stolen, simply put they are no longer available for guests who depend on them.
‘Left unchecked, organized retail crime degrades the communities we call home. As we work to address this problem, the safety of our guests and our team members will always be our primary concern.
At the edge of the parking lot by an Asian grocery that I visit are always a group of homeless looking people selling laundry detergent. They have several large bottles of several different types. OBVIOUSLY all stolen.
Go to a liberal big city. Visit the nearest flea market.
In San Francisco, shoplifters of Walgreens store on Market Street sell their stuff one block away on sidewalks for a fraction of the retail cost. With the blessing of local "leaders" and cops.
Stop them? My brother-in-law was a long-time employee at Walgreens in San Francisco. Store policy is not to confront shoplifters. So employees can only stare at the black thieves as they walk out with merchandise. Yes, almost always black.
He's been yelled at by thieves as they leave, with "You hate black people, don't you!" - and he's been punched in the face just for looking at them without saying anything. Even a black co-worker was punched. B-i-l finally retired a couple years ago, fearing for his life.
I got a good lesson as a teenager working retail about how clueless managers could really be. I commented to my boss that we needed or order more of X as customers were asking for it. He huffed and dismissed it, saying none of the customers had bought any today.
They couldn't buy any because we had sold out days prior. The guy had no business working in a store, much less managing one.
The list goes on. I could write a book series like Dilbert about it all.
If police are not responding to retail crimes like shoplifting, why not use that lack of response to your advantage?
That is, a large retail store could create a “shoplifter holding cell” in the back. Soundproofed, with just a steel chair bolted to the floor. And a bucket welded to the floor over a drain. The idea is to “hold them for the police”, and since the police don’t show up, kick them out of the store just before shut down after cleaning and restocking, say 2-3am.
No food or water, out on the street in the early hours, and they might even have their car towed if they have a car, or they get to walk home after bus service has ended.
Since the cops didn’t punish them, it is a way to teach them that shoplifting is bad.
The store legal department can tweak the idea to insure it is legal.
Wanna fix it? Use high velocity lead.
I have often thought that justice for a shoplifter or other criminals like gov’t. employed offenders should get a sentence of the type that would be a strong deterrent to others. Just a fine & jail sentence might not be enough. The sentencing should be something that the offender would remember for a long, long time.
Buh ma baybee dindu nuffin...
BTW....I call that reparations.
If the guard touches them the perp will cry neck or back pain and sue the business.
Where I live, Augusta Georgia, a lot of poor people shop Wal Mart
#10 That would be Amazon and Ebay.
“Who fences all of this stuff and where can I get it for pennys on the dollar?”
walmart was on my list.
“Who fences all of this stuff and where can I get it for pennys on the dollar?”
Exactly. I am surprised it took until post #92 for someone to say it.
Once the system is weaponized your choices become limited.
Right now your best option is curb pick up.
The customer never sets foot in your store at all.
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