RETAILERS have been forced to take drastic action following a spike in retail theft which has disproportionately impacted Target.
Phoenix’s Christown Spectrum Mall in Arizona is the epicenter of a wave of crime with more thefts reported there than anywhere else in the city.
According to data from the Phoenix Police Department analyzed by The Arizona Republic and Azcentral, businesses and store owners at the mall have reported over 340 cases of theft this year.
However, the data only represents thefts that were reported to law enforcement, different stores have different policies on when to contact the police about theft cases.
These usually depend on the value of the stolen merchandise.
“In an average month, we have more days of someone stealing than days when nobody did,” Brad Ford, who manages the Big 5 Sporting Goods store told the news outlet.
Ford noted that the store will not report stolen products that are under $250.
The majority of these 340 cases noted in the statistics come from the Target superstore located on the west side of the mall.
When asked about this, Target said in a statement: “Theft and organized retail crime are urgent issues limiting product availability, creating a less convenient shopping experience, and putting our team and guests in harm’s way.”
It added that the company is “working with legislators, law enforcement, and retail industry partners to advocate for public policy solutions to combat theft and organized retail crime.”
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Target CEO Brian Cornell previously warned of a $500million loss for the company this year due to retail crimes.
Some stores have had to take drastic action such as tagging items as cheap as $2 with security sensors.
Liz Balderaz who managed the Rainbow clothing store at the mall made this her first mission when she took on the role in June but they do not appear to be working as a deterrent.
Balderaz told Azcentral that employees find broken security tags on the floor on a daily basis and showed the reporter the “ear-piercing” security alarm.
She said: “That’s how loud the alarm is. But it has not stopped shoplifters from stealing here regularly.”
Another tactic employed by the store is to give “excessive attention to people who walk into the store” which helps with customer service and “also shows would-be shoplifters that we’ve got our eyes on you,” Balderaz added.
Meanwhile, Michael Gates the manager of the mall’s Foot Locker said “It’s about the punishment behind the crime.”
He noted that often the police will arrest shoplifters who simply return the following day to continue committing crime.
“If I knew that every time the police came, the system would do what it was supposed to do, then I would pick up the phone every time I had a problem,” Gates said. “But that’s not the case.”
A spokesperson for the Phoenix Police Department, Sgt Rober Scherer said that the level of theft at the mall is due to the high concentration of commercial businesses in the area.
He added that Community Action officers are committed to helping tackle this issue in the neighborhood.
However, Sgt Brian Bower admitted that simply having more patrols in the mall is an unrealistic solution.
Bower explained: “Depending on the area of the city, many patrol officers are responding from one call to the next and do not have time to patrol areas known to be victims of shoplifting.”
He added that when shoppers are found to have committed retail theft, they are often given a citation and not booked into jail.
If they are, it is likely that they will be released within a few hours.
The situation has gotten so bad across the country, that Target is set to shutter nine stores due to the violence that often comes with retail theft.
According to The Wall Street Journal, three stores in Portland, one in New York, and three in San Francisco will close due to safety concerns and poor performance.
“We know that our stores serve an important role in their communities, but we can only be successful if the working and shopping environment is safe for all,” Target said in a news release.
Cornell said in an earnings call last month that there was a “120 percent increase in theft incidents involving violence or threats of violence” over the first five months of the year.
The decision comes after David Johnston, the National Retail Federation’s vice president for asset protection and retail operations said: “The situation is only become more dire.
“Far beyond the financial impact of these crimes, the violence and concerns over safety continue to be the priority for all retailers, regardless of size or category.”
The U.S. Sun has contacted Target for comment.
https://www.the-sun.com/news/9188487/target-superstore-victim-thefts-mall-retailers-drastic-action/