Stealing from Dollar Tree is $#!tying where you eat.
Dollar Tree is the latest retailer to say shoplifting is squeezing margins
91–100 of 108 posts
Re: Dollar Tree is the latest retailer to say shoplifting is squeezing margins
#92Earlier quoted context omitted.
There’s certainly people who need food. I’m not arguing that starvation doesn’t exist. I’m arguing that most shoplifters aren’t starving. And if they were, they wouldn’t shoplift food from dollar tree as the food is all in small packages. People who starve don’t become stupid and would likely shoplift more expensive, nutrient dense items.
I like this reasoning. The act of stealing from a dollar store indicates that a person is not starving because a starving person would plan out a more efficient theft at an establishment that carries larger items.
More like there are two piles of food: one large and easy to access, one small and harder. Which is a starving person more likely to take?
Starving people are just as rationale as the next person, there’s no reason to think they stop making decisions the same way a non-starving person would.
I made no logical statement about whether stealing indicates you’re starving or not. I said that starving people are less likely to steal from the dollar store.
Logically, these are very different things.
Re: Dollar Tree is the latest retailer to say shoplifting is squeezing margins
#93Earlier quoted context omitted.
Of course people can’t afford food. It’s not appropriate or accurate to think that because someone is hungry and can’t afford food that they would steal. That’s stereotyping poor people as criminals.
Not understanding the basic idea of "{I, a loved one} is hungry; I will steal to feed {myself, them}" is an amazing thing to me. I am so glad people exist who can't understand this thinking. Not because of any moral idealism about "stealing is wrong", but the fact the person thinking this has obviously never been in a place where the options were "stealing" or "starvation". Not to go Les Mis, but it is an easy choice…
> Not to go Les Mis, but it is an easy choice for me if my wife was hungry, to go out and steal some bread.
It’s nice you have such certainty. If you were actually starving and wanted to get food for your wife, there are more efficient methods than stealing.
It’s funny that you assume that people don’t know starving or stealing. If it’s obvious to you then you need to rethink your reasoning as while you may find it obvious, you’re wrong as I certainly know both these things.
It’s not idealism to say “stealing is wrong.” That’s the law of the land.
Of course, this article isn’t about starving people stealing food. It’s about jerks stealing from the dollar store. Maybe they are all starving. Probably they aren’t.
If you want to say that it’s ok to steal if you’re starving, then say it.
I’m not sure where you live, but I’m fortunate enough that in my city, state, and country we help people who are hungry so they don’t need to steal. If anyone here steals food, I don’t think it’s due to starvation. Other areas may be different, but I’d like to hear people’s basis for thinking starvation is a significant factor for stealing.
I feel like you’re taking a hypothetical edge situation “starving people just steal and it’s ok for that” and applying it to a situation where criminals are stealing from the dollar store and increasing prices for people who shop there, who happen to be vulnerable populations including people who are hungry and perhaps even starving.
Re: Dollar Tree is the latest retailer to say shoplifting is squeezing margins
#94If you're stealing from Dollar Tree, you're either truly needy or just in it for the thrill of being antisocial. Their stuff hasn't got any value in the store, much less fenced.
It is for the thrill of it. For experience only. If caught the amount of merchandise is small.
Wouldn't increase of punishment make it better. Risking it all for that moment of thrill. Couple years is prison surely would up the thrill to max.
Re: Dollar Tree is the latest retailer to say shoplifting is squeezing margins
#95Earlier quoted context omitted.
They often sell products that are just overstocked elsewhere. Near me, they've lately been selling bags of Starbucks brand coffee for their typical $1.25, and my wife used to buy a brand of juice that easily cost 2-3x that much elsewhere.
I mean, even if that is the case, how much did Dollar Tree pay for that coffee to resell it for $1.25 per bag? These guys said they loss $100 mil to shrinkage? Or, did I read that wrong?
Their gross margins are around 30%, so I'm guessing $0.50-$0.75.
They have about 8000 stores, so that's about $35 in shrinkage per store per day.
Re: Dollar Tree is the latest retailer to say shoplifting is squeezing margins
#96Earlier quoted context omitted.
They often sell products that are just overstocked elsewhere. Near me, they've lately been selling bags of Starbucks brand coffee for their typical $1.25, and my wife used to buy a brand of juice that easily cost 2-3x that much elsewhere.
It’s not real Starbucks.
Hence "Starbucks brand" (real in the same sense that Versace eyewear is actually made by Luxxotica)
Re: Dollar Tree is the latest retailer to say shoplifting is squeezing margins
#97Earlier quoted context omitted.
It’s not real Starbucks.
Come again? Starbucks products sold at Dollar Tree are as real as those sold in other food stores. The Starbucks grocery business is owned by Nestle.
I mean, it's likely not the same as what you'd buy in a Starbuck in the USA. It's was probably packaged for Mexico or someplace, didn't sell, and the overstock was sold to Dollar Tree.
They did this with Colgate Toothpaste a while back. It was a minor scandal. It was real Colgate, but not the USA formula. It was not ADA approved and didn't have the same flouride content.
Re: Dollar Tree is the latest retailer to say shoplifting is squeezing margins
#98Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Intervene and prevent the loss You think the government should be responsible for placing security guards in private businesses? Is that where you want your tax money to go?
In California, it is generally unlawful to defend property. So, like I said, either the state needs to do it for me with its sovereign right to use of force, or it needs to step aside. I left California, so I really don't care.
How much force do you think the state should be allowed to use to stop shoplifting?
Re: Dollar Tree is the latest retailer to say shoplifting is squeezing margins
#99Earlier quoted context omitted.
OTOOH, I have worked in SF for 24 years. Back then I don't think I ever saw anyone shoplift. I'm sure it happened, but I never personally witnessed it. In the last year or so, I have personally witnessed people shoplifting in various SF retail establishments probably more than 30 times. On only two occasions have I seen anyone attempt do anything to try to stop the perpetrator. In my opinion, I think the CNN article…
Umm, I'm sorry sweaty, but since I didn't read this on CNN or the Huffington Post, your lying eyes are guilty of spreading dangerous far-right misinformation.
Please don't do this here.
Re: Dollar Tree is the latest retailer to say shoplifting is squeezing margins
#100[flagged]
I'll assume you're being serious with your comment. Shariah has conditions for when Hudud penalties are to be applied. Just because someone stole does not mean the harshest punishment automatically applies. There are factors such as adulthood, not being in a famine, the value stolen being over a certain amount (approx 1gm of gold), and so on. An investigation is conducted and the judge rules. This is not to say that…
Thanks for this - learned a bunch. Also good to see others worried about this stuff instead of pretending it’s all great