The council tracks 24 major U.S. cities. Overall, shoplifting incidents were 16 percent higher in the first half of 2023 than the first half of 2019. When New York City is excluded, however, reported shoplifting incidents fell over the same time period. Out of the 24 cities, 17 reported decreases in shoplifting.
Shoplifting incidents per 100,000 population hit 48.0 in December 2019, but in May 2023, that number was down to 39.9—an increase from the April 2021 low of 27.0, according to the CCJ, but well below prepandemic levels.
So, yeah, the retailers claiming that "shoplifting" was a significant or material problem they were facing appear to have been just entirely lying.
__________________ Hear me / and if I close my mind in fear / please pry it open See me / and if my face becomes sincere / beware Hold me / and when I start to come undone / stitch me together Save me / and when you see me strut / remind me of what left this outlaw torn
Haha I have been in this Walgreens, I sold some Morgan dollars to "Dan" at "Don's Village Coins" next door, Don is never in, I don't think Don exists. The whole transaction felt like it was out of the 80s complete with overly warm room, a staticky radio and a hand calculator as the only electronics in sight. The area is a tiny little old folks hipster nook just far enough out of the way from the college, the mall and light rail station that you need to go there deliberately, and the walgreens itself was poorly kept up. I'm not surprised in the least it closed.
Re: Shoplifting: Actually a much smaller problem than reported
What we need is comparative figures on wage theft by retailers from their staff. If what if I've seen on social media is true, and of course why would it not be, it dwarfs the scale of shoplifting.
Re: Shoplifting: Actually a much smaller problem than reported
I think wage theft swamps all other kinds of theft put together by a significant margin.
__________________ Hear me / and if I close my mind in fear / please pry it open See me / and if my face becomes sincere / beware Hold me / and when I start to come undone / stitch me together Save me / and when you see me strut / remind me of what left this outlaw torn
Re: Shoplifting: Actually a much smaller problem than reported
Quote:
But the timing of Walgreens’ decision led observers to wonder whether a $140 billion company was using an unsubstantiated narrative of unchecked shoplifting to obscure other possible factors in its decision.
“They are saying (shoplifting is) the primary reason, but I also think when a place is not generating revenue, and when they’re saturated — S.F. has a lot of Walgreens locations all over the city — so I do think that there are other factors that come into play,” Mayor London Breed told reporters last week.
Again, so what? Why does anyone give a fuck? Does a business now have to explain itself when it closes a store? Really? What woke-as-fuck worldview contains that metric?
Seriously.
What next? The government can force, by law, a business to not close? Is that the woke-as-fuck message here?
Explain this shit.
__________________
"Have no respect whatsoever for authority; forget who said it and instead look what he starts with, where he ends up, and ask yourself, "Is it reasonable?""
Re: Shoplifting: Actually a much smaller problem than reported
Even before it was confirmed to be made up, I was never crystal clear on why I was supposed to care - and much less actively worry - about tHe ShOpLiFtInG. Ok somebody stole some shit from a Walgreens in San Francisco. And? Was it just supposed to be a figleaf for when people complain about retail price increases? Ok I guess, but profits are fine, who cares? Maybe just something for Trumpy dipshits in Trumpy shitholes to get scared and mad about, because they are the dumbest motherfuckers on the planet.
Re: Shoplifting: Actually a much smaller problem than reported
It's stories for the kind of people who think going into a city is inherently dangerous.
Like, I have a friend who had some relatives in Pittsburgh and when I lived in Pittsburgh we got dinner while he was visiting those relatives. His relatives thought it was like scary and he said they basically never drove into the city, even though they lived 15 minutes away from trendy areas in the city with nice restaurants.
Re: Shoplifting: Actually a much smaller problem than reported
Fascists love the City-as-Sodom, and I feel a little bad finding it as amusing as I do. Like those people who are convinced that Portland no longer exists because it literally burned to the ground.
Re: Shoplifting: Actually a much smaller problem than reported
FWIW, I have friends who live in Portland and it's fine.
__________________ Hear me / and if I close my mind in fear / please pry it open See me / and if my face becomes sincere / beware Hold me / and when I start to come undone / stitch me together Save me / and when you see me strut / remind me of what left this outlaw torn
Re: Shoplifting: Actually a much smaller problem than reported
So I lived this summer right downtown in a city of over a million. I lived there while looking to buy a house near my sister to help out with her kids. We loved it downtown, we’d go out day or night to the random cocktail bars, restaurants, grocery bodegas. We considered buying a downtown condo.
But we bought a house near my sister, 15 minutes drive from downtown, easy access to commuter train if we want. Neighbours are lovely. And terrified of downtown. Like they’d be murdered in an instant.
I think I’ll take an uber to that tiki bar tomorrow night, taking my life in my hands, yo.
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Peering from the top of Mount Stupid
Re: Shoplifting: Actually a much smaller problem than reported
I shoplifted a lot when I was a young teen. My family was super poor so from my perspective anyone who owned a business, even a "mom and pop", was rich, so I didn't think it was hurting anyone. I had also heard that businesses accounted for a certain amount of shoplifting in how they set their prices, so to my mind that was like saying a certain percentage of goods were already paid for. Or something like that. Anyway I tried to get back on the straight and narrow when I was 16 so I quit shoplifting then. I remember vividly exactly where I was the first time I put a pack of gum on the counter and, from my point of view, unnecessarily gave my money away.
Re: Shoplifting: Actually a much smaller problem than reported
I tried shoplifting, once.
It did not go well. I ended up in jail, and my Dad had to drive across the state to bail me out. I'm glad he did. Digging ditches and shit on a Chain Gang was not my intended career choice.
__________________
“Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.”
― Mark Twain
Re: Shoplifting: Actually a much smaller problem than reported
Not long after the lockdowns I knew nature was healing when once on the bus I heard a group of teens sharing which of the multiple Walgreens on that route was the easiest to steal soda and chips from.
The fact that during the pandemic the illegal blanket market at Mission and 24th had essentially no security while amassing dozens of sellers really suggests it's not that people are unwilling to pay for their shampoo and laundry detergent, just not at the prices mega-corps want.
Re: Shoplifting: Actually a much smaller problem than reported
We were in a long line at Walgreens during Pride in SF and this dude comes in, grabs some shit, and walks out, and everybody in line is just like WTF. It's like I don't care if he pays or not, but how come he gets to skip the wait? That's some bullshit.
Re: Shoplifting: Actually a much smaller problem than reported
My daughter and husband were at a Walgreens on Christmas Day probably 6 years ago . They were in line when this van pulls up and this lady jumped out, ran in through the out door, gave my husband a smirk, grabbed two drones, bolted out the door jumped in the van and peeled off. My husband was first line and turned around and busted out laughing. The guy working rolled his eyes and everyone else either stood there laughing or rolling their eyes.
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What are sleeping dreams but so much garbage?~ Glen’s homophobic newsletter
Re: Shoplifting: Actually a much smaller problem than reported
When I worked in retail (about mid-60s,) The manager at the WT Grant where I worked ALWAY said only an idiot puts high value merchandise close to a door.
There sure are a lot of idiots in Retail.
__________________
“Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.”
― Mark Twain
The problem is easily solved. Just tell people there isn't really a problem.
It's how commie/socialist countries solve problems!
__________________
"Have no respect whatsoever for authority; forget who said it and instead look what he starts with, where he ends up, and ask yourself, "Is it reasonable?""
Shoplifting: Actually a much smaller problem than reported
addressing the important issues
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