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The owner of the mall they were in clearly states that "unsafe conditions" are contributing to the deteriorating environment. Similarly, Whole Foods (a business

by 0xy 3y ago

The owner of the mall they were in clearly states that "unsafe conditions" are contributing to the deteriorating environment. Similarly, Whole Foods (a business much less affected by online sales than Nordstrom) has shuttered stores explicitly because of unsafe conditions (crime). Nationwide, retail theft increased by 26.5% in 2021 alone. The increase is mostly driven by organized theft rings, emboldened by loose bail policies and undercharging by DAs.

eesmith 3y ago
A counter-narrative is at https://sfist.com/2023/04/25/former-civic-center-whole-foods-employees-say-store-didnt-close-just-because-of-crime/ https://sfist.com/2023/04/25/former-civic-center-whole-foods... > Much like Walgreens before them, Amazon-owned Whole Foods may be scapegoating San Francisco's petty crime problem and feeding into a narrative in order to avoid talking about the economics of the store they just shut down. ... > The Chronicle has now spoken to a handful of former employees at the mid-Market store — on condition of anonymity because presumably some were given jobs at other stores — and they have painted a likely picture that Amazon/Whole Foods didn't really do their due diligence before opening this store. ... > Employees cite multiple missteps on the part of the company, including the placement of a liquor section near the exit doors, and "hiring poorly trained guards who tended to escalate confrontations into violence." > Yes, apparently someone OD'd in the Whole Foods restroom, but the pure fact that the store had unlocked or unattended restrooms in that neighborhood shows a high degree of naïveté, or just lack of local knowledge. ... > The point is, many people noted how very empty this store felt a lot of the time — not overrun with crazed addicts, but actually just empty. Would Whole Foods have made the decision to curtail hours last fall, closing the place at 7 p.m., if they were doing gangbusters business and regularly had long lines at checkout at 7 or 8 p.m.? That was also framed as a decision about "safety."

by 0xy 3y ago

eesmith 3y ago

A counter-narrative is at https://sfist.com/2023/04/25/former-civic-center-whole-foods-employees-say-store-didnt-close-just-because-of-crime/ https://sfist.com/2023/04/25/former-civic-center-whole-foods... > Much like Walgreens before them, Amazon-owned Whole Foods may be scapegoating San Francisco's petty crime problem and feeding into a narrative in order to avoid talking about the economics of the store they just shut down. ... > The Chronicle has now spoken to a handful of former employees at the mid-Market store — on condition of anonymity because presumably some were given jobs at other stores — and they have painted a likely picture that Amazon/Whole Foods didn't really do their due diligence before opening this store. ... > Employees cite multiple missteps on the part of the company, including the placement of a liquor section near the exit doors, and "hiring poorly trained guards who tended to escalate confrontations into violence." > Yes, apparently someone OD'd in the Whole Foods restroom, but the pure fact that the store had unlocked or unattended restrooms in that neighborhood shows a high degree of naïveté, or just lack of local knowledge. ... > The point is, many people noted how very empty this store felt a lot of the time — not overrun with crazed addicts, but actually just empty. Would Whole Foods have made the decision to curtail hours last fall, closing the place at 7 p.m., if they were doing gangbusters business and regularly had long lines at checkout at 7 or 8 p.m.? That was also framed as a decision about "safety."