Shoplifting reaches crisis proportions Shoplifting has gotten so bad nationally that chains like Rite Aid are closing hard-hit stores, sending terrified employees home in Ubers and locking up aisles of seemingly mundane items like deodorant and toothpaste. Why it matters: Retailers are already reeling from the pandemic, supply chain woes and the labor shortage. Now they're combating systematic looting by organized crime gangs — which are growing more aggressive and violent. "It's out of control — it is just out of control," Lisa LaBruno, SVP of operations and innovation at the Retail Industry Leaders Association, tells Axios. A lot of the uptick is tied to the ease of reselling stolen goods online, plus the fact that consumers are buying more everyday goods online during COVID. "We have experienced a 300% increase in retail theft from our stores since the pandemic began." CVS spokesman Michael DeAngelis tells Axios. At a Rite Aid that just closed its doors in midtown Manhattan, more than $200,000 in goods were stolen in December and January, per the New York Post.
The thefts impact the stores in poorer urban areas the most where the "shinkage" level is the highest -- and now it has reached extreme levels -- to the point where some stories have more economic losses in shoplifting then they get from sales. The end result of this is that stories in poor urban areas will be closed by these pharmacy and grocery chains who have no desire to endure the corporate losses. This will create food and pharmacy ghettos in these neighborhoods -- which progressives will whine about while not recognizing the root cause was their "defund the police", "don't have bail" and "no prosecution" initiatives.
Gristedes CEO steps up security at stores amid wave of shoplifting incidents Catsimatidis says retired officers will be placed at every location https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/gristedes-retail-shoplifting-theft-new-york-city A major New York City grocery chain is buckling down on security measures following a string of brazen retail thefts targeting supermarkets in the Big Apple. John Catsimatidis, the CEO of Gristedes, told FOX Business that the company plans to place retired police officers outside its stores and even offer rewards to customers who provide information on shoplifters. "We put our foot down. We're not going to allow crime to take us over," Catsimatidis said, pointing to a number of recent store closures in the city. Catsimatidis said Gristedes won't be one of them. "We're not closing our stores," he added. "We're going to do to whatever we have to do to make sure our consumers and to make sure our employees are safe." To help, Catsimatidis says the retired officers will be placed at every location, but they won't be standing in plain sight. "They're going to be outside the store, they're going to do what they have to do," he said. Catsimatidis added that the company will use its security cameras to take pictures of any thieves. In the week ending Feb. 6, New York City saw a 58.5.% increase in petit larceny incidents, according to NYPD citywide crime statistics. As recently as Tuesday, a man was seen stuffing cans of soda into his pants at a Trader Joe's in Union Square before casually leaving the store, according to footage captured by the New York Post. Just one day before that, another man left the same store with a stack of 10 packages of steaks. Employees told the outlet that they were told not to stop the alleged thief. The incident is being handled by the police. Representatives for Trader Joe's did not respond to FOX Business' request for comment.
GWB has it that crime will spread from midtown Manhattin to the ghettos.. It says (saw it logged out, ipatent is on ignore as intractable racist) the rise in this specific type of crime is due to the lucritive resale opportunities afforded by internet sales of stolen groceries. Trump showed the way to so many, take what you want, of you don't you are just a sucker and of course stealing steaks...