LATimes: Retail lobby admits "shoplifting surge" is a lie

[fortnightlily]

www.latimes.com/business/story/2023-12-14/column-retail-lobby-confesses-it-lied-about-organized-shoplifting-rings?utm_source=pocket-newtab-en-us

I don't have a gift link, not sure if it's paywalled. 

Choice paragraphs:

"The NRF declared that organized crime accounted for “nearly half” of the $94.5 billion in retail “shrink” attributed to theft or “other causes” in 2021. The claim appeared in the latest edition of the federation’s annual report on organized retail crime. On Dec. 4, the federation acknowledged that its estimate was a fabrication and it “updated” its report to remove the estimate. But the damage had been done."

...

"Big retail chains have been using claims about mob shoplifting to obscure why they’ve been closing stores in some neighborhoods. Target has attributed closings of stores in Seattle, New York and San Francisco to crime, although in some cases those neighborhoods have been shown to have lower shoplifting rates than locations left open. The real issue, in other words, may be that the retailer made a mistake in locating these stores and is trying to blame local residents, rather than its own executive decision-making."

[picksthemusic]

The Target closest to me has caged up most of its items, and it's so frustrating. Now they have signs up saying something like 'we have locked up the items so they stay in stock for you!' It's total BS and I absolutely hate it.

[StrawberryBlondie]

I was listening to a story on MPR yesterday about this and it sounded like they had to backtrack because journalists started looking into their claims and found that that "other causes" doing some really heavy lifting.

Anecdotally, my MIL works retail and has said that it seems like people are getting more brazen about their shoplifting, but not that shoplifting itself is increasing.

[tacokick]

Completely unsurprising. None of the articles claiming this made any sense. There should be some repercussions for this for the journalists who published these claims with no thought and the companies lying.

[BlondeSpiders]

I should know better than to read comments for any local news sources, but the Seattle Times commentariat seems to be 99% Seattle haters. They absolutely had a field day with the story about various Targets shutting down in Seattle neighborhoods due to that nebulous "crime."

I can say for certain that the City Target in Ballard was a shit location and I'm not surprised it closed. It's so easy to blame crime and not bad planning.

[jlt19]

Dec 19, 2023 13:32:39 GMT -5 picksthemusic said:

The Target closest to me has caged up most of its items, and it's so frustrating. Now they have signs up saying something like 'we have locked up the items so they stay in stock for you!' It's total BS and I absolutely hate it.

Honest question, if they’re not experiencing crime, why lock things up? I get the lies about why they’re closing stores (and agree that’s BS).

[underwaterrhymes]

Dec 19, 2023 18:55:34 GMT -5 jlt19 said:

Dec 19, 2023 13:32:39 GMT -5 picksthemusic said:

The Target closest to me has caged up most of its items, and it's so frustrating. Now they have signs up saying something like 'we have locked up the items so they stay in stock for you!' It's total BS and I absolutely hate it.

Honest question, if they’re not experiencing crime, why lock things up? I get the lies about why they’re closing stores (and agree that’s BS).

Because racism. This doesn’t happen in predominantly white neighborhoods.

[SusanBAnthony]

Dec 19, 2023 19:04:08 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

Dec 19, 2023 18:55:34 GMT -5 jlt19 said:

Honest question, if they’re not experiencing crime, why lock things up? I get the lies about why they’re closing stores (and agree that’s BS).

Because racism. This doesn’t happen in predominantly white neighborhoods.

I'm in a predominantly white neighborhood and my target started locking things up a couple months ago.

It's silly because they open them all up on the busy weekend shopping days.

Local neighborhood FB groups have recounted stories of very brazen shoplifting at our target. No idea if that may contribute or not but everyone knows the store security officers won't do anything to stop you even if you walk out with items in full view.

[erbear]

Dec 19, 2023 19:31:59 GMT -5 SusanBAnthony said:

Dec 19, 2023 19:04:08 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

Because racism. This doesn’t happen in predominantly white neighborhoods.

I'm in a predominantly white neighborhood and my target started locking things up a couple months ago.

It's silly because they open them all up on the busy weekend shopping days.

Local neighborhood FB groups have recounted stories of very brazen shoplifting at our target. No idea if that may contribute or not but everyone knows the store security officers won't do anything to stop you even if you walk out with items in full view.

A security guard at our Macy's downtown tried to stop a shoplifter last week and the man came back and stabbed him to death so I'm not sure I blame them for using caution.

[wawa]

I have to imagine that with the corporate math on loss prevention has changed because the whole inflation, supply chain, Amazon etc etc situation has cut into their profit margins. So it's worth it to them to inconvenience their customers to help claw that money back when before they were fine taking the loss.

[fancynewbeesly]

Dec 19, 2023 19:31:59 GMT -5 SusanBAnthony said:

Dec 19, 2023 19:04:08 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

Because racism. This doesn’t happen in predominantly white neighborhoods.

I'm in a predominantly white neighborhood and my target started locking things up a couple months ago.

It's silly because they open them all up on the busy weekend shopping days.

Local neighborhood FB groups have recounted stories of very brazen shoplifting at our target. No idea if that may contribute or not but everyone knows the store security officers won't do anything to stop you even if you walk out with items in full view.

Same. Luckily target isn't super close to us, but the inconvenience of us getting things out of a locked area, made us just rethink going to Target. 

[redheadbaker]

Dec 19, 2023 18:55:34 GMT -5 jlt19 said:

Dec 19, 2023 13:32:39 GMT -5 picksthemusic said:

The Target closest to me has caged up most of its items, and it's so frustrating. Now they have signs up saying something like 'we have locked up the items so they stay in stock for you!' It's total BS and I absolutely hate it.

Honest question, if they’re not experiencing crime, why lock things up? I get the lies about why they’re closing stores (and agree that’s BS).

Racism. There are two Target stores, each about 15 minutes away from me in opposite directions. The one in the predominantly black neighborhood has TONS of stuff locked up. The one in the predominantly white neighborhood doesn't. 

[basilosaurus]

Dec 19, 2023 19:54:43 GMT -5 wawa said:

I have to imagine that with the corporate math on loss prevention has changed because the whole inflation, supply chain, Amazon etc etc situation has cut into their profit margins. So it's worth it to them to inconvenience their customers to help claw that money back when before they were fine taking the loss.

Except that just drives me more to online sources. If I have to put on real clothes, drive, deal with, ugh, humans, and then wait 15 minutes to get some damn deoderant, next time I'm going to stay home.

Locking items up is nothing new, and I don't know how things are now, but I was surprised a year ago buy how much more pronounced it is than 4 years before.

[underwaterrhymes]

Dec 19, 2023 19:31:59 GMT -5 SusanBAnthony said:

Dec 19, 2023 19:04:08 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

Because racism. This doesn’t happen in predominantly white neighborhoods.

I'm in a predominantly white neighborhood and my target started locking things up a couple months ago.

It's silly because they open them all up on the busy weekend shopping days.

Local neighborhood FB groups have recounted stories of very brazen shoplifting at our target. No idea if that may contribute or not but everyone knows the store security officers won't do anything to stop you even if you walk out with items in full view.

I’m sure there are exceptions, but as redheadbaker points out, you can see vast discrepancies between two different locations based on the predominant demographics of the patrons.

[formerlyak]

Dec 19, 2023 19:04:08 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

Dec 19, 2023 18:55:34 GMT -5 jlt19 said:

Honest question, if they’re not experiencing crime, why lock things up? I get the lies about why they’re closing stores (and agree that’s BS).

Because racism. This doesn’t happen in predominantly white neighborhoods.

Anecdotally, it appears to be random here in LA area. My local Target is in an area with a lot less white people than my mother in law’s Target and hers has stuff locked up and ours doesn’t. She was shocked that we can just walk up to the shelf and grab deodorant.

ETA: my neighborhood is predominately Hispanic (didn’t want my post to read like MIL is 80% white and we are 75% so … less)and is located Nextdoor to the large regional bus station and the pallet shelters that house our local unhoused residents. MIL Target is definitely in a more affluent area

[tacokick]

Dec 20, 2023 8:47:43 GMT -5 formerlyak said:

Anecdotally, it appears to be random here in LA area. My local Target is in an area with a lot less white people than my mother in law’s Target and hers has stuff locked up and ours doesn’t. She was shocked that we can just walk up to the shelf and grab deodorant.

ETA: my neighborhood is predominately Hispanic (didn’t want my post to read like MIL is 80% white and we are 75% so … less)and is located Nextdoor to the large regional bus station and the pallet shelters that house our local unhoused residents. MIL Target is definitely in a more affluent area

Every time I’ve seen someone shoplifting something like deodorant or cosmetics it’s always white teenaged girls. It’s possible her store has a legit problem and is responding to that. I’m sure other stores have closed and locked things up due to race and classism though.

Some stats:

“Native Americans had higher odds than whites, although blacks, Hispanics, and Asian Americans had lower odds of shoplifting than non-Hispanic whites. Being U.S.-born, never married, or in the youngest cohort (ages 18–29) also increased the risk for shoplifting. Shoplifting was significantly more common in individuals with at least some college education, among those with individual incomes over $35,000 and family incomes over $70,000, and among those living in the West, but less common among those with public insurance.“

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4104590/

[formerlyak]

Dec 20, 2023 9:08:38 GMT -5 tacokick said:

Dec 20, 2023 8:47:43 GMT -5 formerlyak said:

Anecdotally, it appears to be random here in LA area. My local Target is in an area with a lot less white people than my mother in law’s Target and hers has stuff locked up and ours doesn’t. She was shocked that we can just walk up to the shelf and grab deodorant.

ETA: my neighborhood is predominately Hispanic (didn’t want my post to read like MIL is 80% white and we are 75% so … less)and is located Nextdoor to the large regional bus station and the pallet shelters that house our local unhoused residents. MIL Target is definitely in a more affluent area

Every time I’ve seen someone shoplifting something like deodorant or cosmetics it’s always white teenaged girls. It’s possible her store has a legit problem and is responding to that. I’m sure other stores have closed and locked things up due to race and classism though.

Some stats:

“Native Americans had higher odds than whites, although blacks, Hispanics, and Asian Americans had lower odds of shoplifting than non-Hispanic whites. Being U.S.-born, never married, or in the youngest cohort (ages 18–29) also increased the risk for shoplifting. Shoplifting was significantly more common in individuals with at least some college education, among those with individual incomes over $35,000 and family incomes over $70,000, and among those living in the West, but less common among those with public insurance. “

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4104590/

This is a good point. Her Target is walking distance from a high school. Now I’m curious if make up is locked up at her Target. Make up is always a teen shoplifting target.

[loira]

We've started to see more and more self-checkouts in retail, and some grocery chains are claiming they need to increase prices due to self-checkout theft (when the stores were the one who put the checkouts in to lower operational costs). I watched a report on it not long ago that said most self-checkout theft is actually accidental because people either don't know the correct code of the produce they're trying to weigh or don't realize they've picked up the organic apples and not the regular, or they are in a hurry and forget to scan a couple of items. So these companies have put in cost-saving measures, that are now costing them money, and using it as an excuse to inflate grocery prices.

For context, grocery prices in Canada have gone bonkers and people are getting really fed up.

[sent]

The Walmart closest to me locked up all their Cricut items recently. I was really surprised and wondered why.

[formerlyak]

sent,because crafters are villains. Kidding. That one is definitely a stumper.

[formerlyak]

loira, Our self check outs all have one checker standing there to "help" and I am guessing also make sure people are ringing their items.

[basilosaurus]

Dec 20, 2023 14:10:29 GMT -5 formerlyak said:

loira, Our self check outs all have one checker standing there to "help" and I am guessing also make sure people are ringing their items.

and to approve alcohol purchases

[mrsukyankee]

Our self-checkouts at the local grocers don't have anyone around - you have to call out. Because they now only have ONE person working in the store during much of the store open hours. ONE. Sometimes they will have security. But rarely more than one person for shelving items as well as register work. It's awful.

[Velar Fricative]

It was big news locally when they announced Target in East Harlem would be closing due to retail theft, so of course conservative media pounced on that. What Target and everyone else conveniently forgot to mention until a while later is that they were opening a new Target several blocks away in Harlem. Target did eventually (after the fuss had died down) that it wasn’t *really* because of retail theft. I mentioned the neighborhoods because part of the field day racists were having is that it supported their narrative that big blue cities with lots of non-white people are lawless hellscapes.

I do believe the situation that wawa detailed - retailers are less able to withstand their losses like they used to. But, that’s a perfectly viable explanation instead of just “suddenly everybody’s stealing our stuff!”

[ssmjlm]

RE-self check out, our target has gone to 10 items or less now, which I'm happy about because there are finally more workers in the store. One worker for 8 self check out machines was too much, esp when that was all that was open. I wish our grocery store would adopt a similar model. My mom and I went on a Friday morning a week before Thanksgiving and there was 1 standard check out lane open.

CNN just had something about self-check out changes: www.cnn.com/2023/12/08/business/self-checkout-dollar-general-retail/index.html

Costco has had someone checking your costco card before you can get into the self check out. I guess people were somehow going around it?


The only store with stuff locked up near me is Michael's and the spray paint, but it's been that way for years. I was thinking it was more to keep people from spraying the paint in the store vs theft.

[fortnightlily]

Dec 21, 2023 8:05:55 GMT -5 ssmjlm said:

The only store with stuff locked up near me is Michael's and the spray paint, but it's been that way for years. I was thinking it was more to keep people from spraying the paint in the store vs theft.

I actually would've guessed this was because it was a target for theft by people huffing inhalants to get high.

[ssmjlm]

Dec 21, 2023 9:15:44 GMT -5 fortnightlily said:

Dec 21, 2023 8:05:55 GMT -5 ssmjlm said:

The only store with stuff locked up near me is Michael's and the spray paint, but it's been that way for years. I was thinking it was more to keep people from spraying the paint in the store vs theft.

I actually would've guessed this was because it was a target for theft by people huffing inhalants to get high.

Also possilby true, my mind probably went the other way because of the mess of the pen section where everyone "tests" them and leaves a mess.

[formerlyak]

Dec 20, 2023 22:22:18 GMT -5 basilosaurus said:

Dec 20, 2023 14:10:29 GMT -5 formerlyak said:

loira, Our self check outs all have one checker standing there to "help" and I am guessing also make sure people are ringing their items.

and to approve alcohol purchases

We can’t do alcohol or gift cards (or medicine with alcohol like cough medicine) at self check out by me.

[tacokick]

Dec 20, 2023 22:22:18 GMT -5 basilosaurus said:

Dec 20, 2023 14:10:29 GMT -5 formerlyak said:

loira, Our self check outs all have one checker standing there to "help" and I am guessing also make sure people are ringing their items.

and to approve alcohol purchases

None of our stores sell any alcohol products (outside of actual liquor stores) but we still have 1-3 people watching/working self check out.

[tacokick]

Dec 21, 2023 8:05:55 GMT -5 ssmjlm said:

Costco has had someone checking your costco card before you can get into the self check out. I guess people were somehow going around it?

I saw some people trying to check out at Costco without a card and then telling the workers that you didn’t need one if you did self check out. Which, of course, was not true.

I wonder if that is a widespread belief/issue?