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Some companies are lying about why they’re closing stores. For example, Walgreens announced in 2019 that it would shutter 200 stores. Blaming shoplifting soun

Some companies are lying about why they’re closing stores. For example, Walgreens announced in 2019 that it would shutter 200 stores. Blaming shoplifting sounds like some serious Chamber of Commerce spin to direct attention away from them abandoning locations and the jobs that go with them, and to give ammunition to pro-corporate pro-policing factions.

phendrenad2 5y ago
So what is the real reason they're closing the stores? I want to hear the rest of the conspiracy theory :(
- WalterGR 5y ago
  The word of big business is truth and doubting it is a conspiracy theory? That’s a bit of a leap. Anyway, TFA links to more reading in its final paragraph. Look for the link in the following text: but: An analysis of crime statistics and other reporting by The Atlantic cast doubt on what it called the "great shoplifting freak-out," citing "fuzzy data" and asserting that what's being lumped together as shoplifting is actually a variety of violent crimes.
  - phendrenad2 5y ago
    That doesn't answer my question, but... that article you tell me to read merely says that there isn't enough information to say that there's a theft spike, it does not provide any evidence against a theft spike.
    - WalterGR 5y ago
      Those can be equivalent.
      - seanmcdirmid 5y ago
        Not really. If stores aren't reporting their theft problems because police aren't doing anything about them...the theft problem remains even if the crime statistics magically don't show it. Everyone quickly realizes it is a farce and even the most left-wing SF politician stops using the statistics in their arguments.
  - loudtieblahblah 5y ago
    >The word of big business is truth and doubting it is a conspiracy theory? This is certainly the case on HackerNews if it's a censoring tech company or a BigPharma Corp like Pfizer
tagoregrtst 5y ago
So Walgreen is closing otherwise profitable stores out of spite? Do you have any evidence for this?
- MattGaiser 5y ago
  They are challenging the assumption/claim that they are profitable.
  - candiodari 5y ago
    ... while avoiding all blame on management. They made no errors. Not on market research, leading to lack of profitability. Not on managing the store. Nothing is their fault. That alone makes it a bit too convenient.
    - tagoregrtst 5y ago
      Its a local pharmacy! This isnt Kodak in the late 90s dropping the ball on the advent of digital. Its not that hard. Hire a couple of pharmacists. Check their licenses. Hire a dozen regular employees. Assign a few managers. Buy drugs. Buy soft drinks and milk. Buy personal care goods. Open between hours of 9 to 10 pm 24-7 There’s no long term strategic plan needed (should we switch to Pepsi? Why not stock both?). Except, maybe, the prescience to only hire ex-marines.
    - seanmcdirmid 5y ago
      Our local QFC keeps cutting back their hours because of: a. They can't hire enough people. b. Shoplifting spikes later at night, so why bother being open then, especially when (a) is a problem. It isn't just one thing, but given two problems put together, it leads to stones (cut hours, close stores) that kill multiple birds.

phendrenad2 5y ago

So what is the real reason they're closing the stores? I want to hear the rest of the conspiracy theory :(

WalterGR 5y ago
The word of big business is truth and doubting it is a conspiracy theory? That’s a bit of a leap. Anyway, TFA links to more reading in its final paragraph. Look for the link in the following text: but: An analysis of crime statistics and other reporting by The Atlantic cast doubt on what it called the "great shoplifting freak-out," citing "fuzzy data" and asserting that what's being lumped together as shoplifting is actually a variety of violent crimes.
- phendrenad2 5y ago
  That doesn't answer my question, but... that article you tell me to read merely says that there isn't enough information to say that there's a theft spike, it does not provide any evidence against a theft spike.
  - WalterGR 5y ago
    Those can be equivalent.
    - seanmcdirmid 5y ago
      Not really. If stores aren't reporting their theft problems because police aren't doing anything about them...the theft problem remains even if the crime statistics magically don't show it. Everyone quickly realizes it is a farce and even the most left-wing SF politician stops using the statistics in their arguments.
- loudtieblahblah 5y ago
  >The word of big business is truth and doubting it is a conspiracy theory? This is certainly the case on HackerNews if it's a censoring tech company or a BigPharma Corp like Pfizer

tagoregrtst 5y ago

So Walgreen is closing otherwise profitable stores out of spite? Do you have any evidence for this?

MattGaiser 5y ago
They are challenging the assumption/claim that they are profitable.
- candiodari 5y ago
  ... while avoiding all blame on management. They made no errors. Not on market research, leading to lack of profitability. Not on managing the store. Nothing is their fault. That alone makes it a bit too convenient.
  - tagoregrtst 5y ago
    Its a local pharmacy! This isnt Kodak in the late 90s dropping the ball on the advent of digital. Its not that hard. Hire a couple of pharmacists. Check their licenses. Hire a dozen regular employees. Assign a few managers. Buy drugs. Buy soft drinks and milk. Buy personal care goods. Open between hours of 9 to 10 pm 24-7 There’s no long term strategic plan needed (should we switch to Pepsi? Why not stock both?). Except, maybe, the prescience to only hire ex-marines.
  - seanmcdirmid 5y ago
    Our local QFC keeps cutting back their hours because of: a. They can't hire enough people. b. Shoplifting spikes later at night, so why bother being open then, especially when (a) is a problem. It isn't just one thing, but given two problems put together, it leads to stones (cut hours, close stores) that kill multiple birds.