4 ms·

the safest stores with the least amount of theft are going to be 1) membership clubs which require ID cards to enter or 2) stores that operate like a vending ma

by jijji 3y ago

the safest stores with the least amount of theft are going to be 1) membership clubs which require ID cards to enter or 2) stores that operate like a vending machine... most stores already have order online functionality, they just need to implement it in kiosks in a lobby area of the store and have staff bring it out. For most people, there is no need to even enter the store anymore. I order online at Walmart, Target, Sams Club, Best Buy, etc and they just bring it to your car. The whole issue of theft goes away at that point, IMHO

Frost1x 3y ago
From statistics I recall reading years ago, a significant amount of retail theft comes directly from employees. So, until you automate those roles away, there's still theft there.
- akira2501 3y ago
  Since that time many jurisdictions have significantly lowered the penalties for shoplifting, and even set a $900 threshold before the police can even become involved. Here in California, one such state, whenever I go to a Walgreens, and this sounds like hyperbole, but I assure you it is not, at least one person shoplifts and just walks out of the store without a hint of hurry in their step. The worst occasion I saw four people just straight up come in, help themselves, and walk out. These aren't even people who visibly seem to be short of money that they could spend on these items, they're just taking advantage of a lax regulatory environment. Which, perhaps some stores have technical workarounds that they can afford, but what this really does is kill small businesses and locally owned stores entirely.
  - EVa5I7bHFq9mnYK 3y ago
    Hilarious. How do they morally justify doing this? Must be all these "oppression" theories they now teach in schools.
  - Dylan16807 3y ago
    On the other hand this happened a couple weeks ago: https://m.startribune.com/us-retail-lobbyists-retract-claim-half-of-losses-were-from-theft-shiplifting-crime-target-walgreens/600325118/ https://m.startribune.com/us-retail-lobbyists-retract-claim-... > In a January earnings call, Walgreens' CEO told investors that "maybe we cried too much" when reporting rising shoplifting the previous year. > NRF data from its annual Retail Security Survey indicates that the percentage of shrink attributed to external theft, including organized retail crime, has largely remained around 36% since 2015.
- CSMastermind 3y ago
  My knowledge is about a decade out of date but at least circa ~2010 about 1/4 of retail theft originated from employees. External theft was definitely had the largest share of losses.
Izkata 3y ago
> or 2) stores that operate like a vending machine... [..] they just need to implement it in kiosks in a lobby area of the store and have staff bring it out. There is a Walgreens in Chicago that was recently redesigned into exactly that due to the amount of theft going on.
wolverine876 3y ago
I don't know about theft, but I go to lots of stores and feel no safety threat, and have experienced no safety threat. I can't remember if I've ever seen or experienced anything threatening.
- AlexandrB 3y ago
  Even the theft thing seems like, at least in part, cover for stuff companies want to do anyways: https://archive.ph/0JPl1 https://archive.ph/0JPl1
InCityDreams 3y ago
>bring it to your car. Sweethearting is a thing.
lotsofpulp 3y ago
> I order online at Walmart, Target, Sams Club, Best Buy, etc and they just bring it to your car. I was at Target the other day buying Command hook adhesive strips. The price in the Target app on my phone was $4.49 with a disclaimer “when purchased online”, and the price in the store was $3.99. I can easily see businesses giving different prices or coupons resulting in different prices to different people based on what they think they will be willing to pay. My friend already gets different Target Circle rewards than me, so I think being able to better price segment customers is at least partly the goal.

by jijji 3y ago

Frost1x 3y ago

From statistics I recall reading years ago, a significant amount of retail theft comes directly from employees. So, until you automate those roles away, there's still theft there.

akira2501 3y ago
Since that time many jurisdictions have significantly lowered the penalties for shoplifting, and even set a $900 threshold before the police can even become involved. Here in California, one such state, whenever I go to a Walgreens, and this sounds like hyperbole, but I assure you it is not, at least one person shoplifts and just walks out of the store without a hint of hurry in their step. The worst occasion I saw four people just straight up come in, help themselves, and walk out. These aren't even people who visibly seem to be short of money that they could spend on these items, they're just taking advantage of a lax regulatory environment. Which, perhaps some stores have technical workarounds that they can afford, but what this really does is kill small businesses and locally owned stores entirely.
- EVa5I7bHFq9mnYK 3y ago
  Hilarious. How do they morally justify doing this? Must be all these "oppression" theories they now teach in schools.
- Dylan16807 3y ago
  On the other hand this happened a couple weeks ago: https://m.startribune.com/us-retail-lobbyists-retract-claim-half-of-losses-were-from-theft-shiplifting-crime-target-walgreens/600325118/ https://m.startribune.com/us-retail-lobbyists-retract-claim-... > In a January earnings call, Walgreens' CEO told investors that "maybe we cried too much" when reporting rising shoplifting the previous year. > NRF data from its annual Retail Security Survey indicates that the percentage of shrink attributed to external theft, including organized retail crime, has largely remained around 36% since 2015.
CSMastermind 3y ago
My knowledge is about a decade out of date but at least circa ~2010 about 1/4 of retail theft originated from employees. External theft was definitely had the largest share of losses.

Izkata 3y ago

> or 2) stores that operate like a vending machine... [..] they just need to implement it in kiosks in a lobby area of the store and have staff bring it out. There is a Walgreens in Chicago that was recently redesigned into exactly that due to the amount of theft going on.

wolverine876 3y ago

I don't know about theft, but I go to lots of stores and feel no safety threat, and have experienced no safety threat. I can't remember if I've ever seen or experienced anything threatening.

AlexandrB 3y ago
Even the theft thing seems like, at least in part, cover for stuff companies want to do anyways: https://archive.ph/0JPl1 https://archive.ph/0JPl1

InCityDreams 3y ago

>bring it to your car. Sweethearting is a thing.

lotsofpulp 3y ago

> I order online at Walmart, Target, Sams Club, Best Buy, etc and they just bring it to your car. I was at Target the other day buying Command hook adhesive strips. The price in the Target app on my phone was $4.49 with a disclaimer “when purchased online”, and the price in the store was $3.99. I can easily see businesses giving different prices or coupons resulting in different prices to different people based on what they think they will be willing to pay. My friend already gets different Target Circle rewards than me, so I think being able to better price segment customers is at least partly the goal.