Retailers howled about theft last year. Why not now?

The Satellite
1

Retailers cried wolf?

2 Likes
2

One of my favorite squawk box moments was watching them try to keep straight faces while discussing shrinkage at d’s sporting goods

2 Likes
3
3 Likes
4

Squawk Box did an organized retail theft piece this morning.

Amazon does little to stop the fencing

5

It’s both crying wolf and that theft is a real problem, it garners the most publicity. But it’s also a great cover to shut down stores in poor folks areas where sitting down would be meet with local resistance.

6
1 Like
7

I read that earlier. Pretty wild.

1 Like
8

This is when so called journalists do not do their homework. Local California and Washington State D.A.'s have told their courts to no longer go after shoplifting crimes. In California if you steal less than $950 they won’t go after you.
I met a Target V.P. in charge of security for the entire company. They have policies in place to let shop lifters do what they want. If an employee tries to stop someone they are immediately fired. These new policies according to him has cost the industries $B’s with no end in sight.
Fading that is all to the the so called journalist interpretation? What kind of a society do we have if we can’t buy TP without asking for a clerk?

1 Like
9

That’s been the policy in retail for at least two decades, my first jobs were in retail Target being one of the companies this was in the early 2000’s. That was part of orientation you don’t chase or confront shoplifters unless you were part of Assets Protection. You can ask if they need help, if you were at the register look all around, call AP.

It’s an insurance/liability thing if an employee gets injured or killed dealing with a shoplifter Target is on the hook for that. Which up until this point is easily going to out weight the cost of the shrink. Now with the rise of more bulk theft and fencing that equation may change.

6 Likes
10

Interesting; did not know that, but when you reflect on it , makes sense. Wonder if that policy
even predates the early 2000s ?

2 Likes
11

We were told the same thing in banking in the early 2000s.

1 Like
12

How old was this VP you talked to ?
You think he was just BSing with you, woefully uninformed, or just spreading his agenda ?

1 Like
13

My guess is yes, probably once things became more litigious and insurance companies started getting hot hard for things these rules for put into place. So probably looking at the 90’s I’d bet.

1 Like
14

How old was this VP?
Spreading what agenda?
Bsing me?
Woefully uninformed?
I’ll take his information any day before anybody on Coogfans. Retailers are pulling left and right of the same areas. That is no:
Bsing
Spreading an agenda.
Woefully uninformed.
This article is missing the most important facts. Typical of npr which stands for:
No research but p****ropaganda.
It is actually dangerous spreading lies like this article implies. Furthermore tell that to the businesses that have lost everything. Businesses that have been in families for generations
gone.

15

NPR is generally well sourced and well researched. Some of my far right friends use NPR to get a middle of the road point of view.

Looks like the author of this article talked to some people at Target too.

Not sure why that article would trigger anyone.

4 Likes
16

It doesn’t take much.

3 Likes
17

The don’t chase shop lifters policies go back to the 80s. I worked retail then, so it’s not new.

I won’t deny that retailers are getting hit by more savvy and organized groups who then flip the items on Amazon. But retailers are also using it to close stores as buying habits have changed and many just buy the same items online, brick and mortar retailers are dying a slow death and shoplifting shrinkage is just one of their problems.

2 Likes
18

Right, no one should be saying the major increase in theft isn’t a real problem, it is. But it’s also well publicized which gives concern to shutting down stores mainly in poor areas.

1 Like
19

All you are left with is a dollar store.

20

https://x.com/keithboykin/status/1767963718565114277?s=20

Interesting to see who was behind the smash and grab crime ring. The video in the clip will surprise you, or not (yeah, that was click bait)