Noteworthy News

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Target is closing nine stores in major cities across four states, claiming theft and organized retail crime have made the environment unsafe for staff and customers – and unsustainable for business.

The big box chain is part of a wave of retailers – both large and small – that say they’re struggling to contain store crimes that have hurt their bottom lines. Many have closed stores or made changes to merchandise and layouts.

One factor that police believe is a driver of organized retail crime more recently is the fact that under new criminal justice reform laws and local district attorney’s policies to reduce mass incarceration, grand theft — the law that covers shoplifting — is a crime that judges can no longer jail a person or even require bail, no matter how many times the same individual is caught. 

https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/26/business/...index.html

Don’t you believe it.

Retail Theft Is Actual Flat, Not Rising

While retailers and the NRF are increasingly saying crime is cutting into profits, losses from internal and external theft last year were largely on par with historical trends. They made up 65% of total shrink, the survey found.

Boru

Have you considered that the 'historical trends' were based on a nation wide sample/statistic and not particular to individual stores?

Plus it does not sound like shrinkage is their only concern. There is also staff and customer safety issues to consider. Read further down in the article you posted. It was also sited in the CNN article.