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Dollar Tree is the latest retailer to say shoplifting is squeezing margins

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Re: Dollar Tree is the latest retailer to say shoplifting is squeezing margins

#101

Post by jrflowers »

prepend wrote: post #92
jrflowers wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 likel…

>Which is a starving person more likely to take?

This makes sense, the answer is certainly not “the one that’s in front of them at a store that’s likely in the part of town that they live in.” The first thing a starving person does is sit down and do a SWOT analysis of various foodstuffs that factors in location, transportation, and nutrient value. After they finish their individual analyses they compare notes with other members of their criminal cohort and split up territory based off of who is hungry and who is saving up for a Lamborghini Urus.

Re: Dollar Tree is the latest retailer to say shoplifting is squeezing margins

#102

Post by Natsu »

chriscjcj wrote: post #32
ZanyProgrammer wrote: post #15

OTOH you shouldn’t necessarily trust what corporations say about this. https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/06/business/walgreens-shopliftin...

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…

That article is playing a bunch of statistical games, like comparing 2022 to 2023 instead of to prior to the mass mob looting incidents, using national data to hide effects of primarily regional issues, citing figures with obvious reporting bias by only counting incidents reported to the police that could do nothing without caring about their severity as a way to cast doubt on the idea that they actually needed to close the stores in the problem areas.

And even then it was forced to admit that shoplifting is up even if one retailer's shrinkage numbers (which includes a lot more than just shoplifting) went down. Never mind their other interventions, like closing stores in problem areas or spending more on security.

You're right to believe your lying eyes here. There were a lot of statistical errors in the article and they all went in the same direction, working to downplay the kind of problems you witnessed first hand.

Re: Dollar Tree is the latest retailer to say shoplifting is squeezing margins

#103

Post by joemazerino »

phone8675309 wrote: post #43
joemazerino wrote: post #33

How many of these reports have to come out before the State reacts appropriately?

What would you have the state do?

The State's job is to enforce laws. I think it would be wise to do so. You?

Re: Dollar Tree is the latest retailer to say shoplifting is squeezing margins

#104

Post by op00to »

taeric wrote: post #26
op00to wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is flatly untrue. There are both sophisticated and basic criminal enterprises based around stealing from places like dollar tree and selling to your corner store.

And this feels like a plot from a movie. Plausible, to a large extent, but ridiculously improbable. Do you have any references to dig into on this? I'd, sadly, expect that the majority of real "theft" in places like this are going to be wage theft.

https://nymag.com/news/features/tide-detergent-drugs-2013-1

Re: Dollar Tree is the latest retailer to say shoplifting is squeezing margins

#105

Post by jsbisviewtiful »

jsbisviewtiful wrote: post #65

Pretty sure I’ve seen at least a few articles saying Dollar Tree and or Family Dollar ruin neighborhoods all in the name of profit. Serves them right.

Yep wasn’t hard to find several articles explaining why. https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/19/business/dollar-general-oppos...

Re: Dollar Tree is the latest retailer to say shoplifting is squeezing margins

#106

Post by phone8675309 »

joemazerino wrote: post #103
phone8675309 wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What would you have the state do?

The State's job is to enforce laws. I think it would be wise to do so. You?

Of course the state should enforce the laws - if you look at the New York case someone posted in this subthread they're often already enforcing the laws. I'm not suggesting that they shouldn't.

As I asked another person in this subthread - what amount of force should the police be allowed to use against shoplifters?

Re: Dollar Tree is the latest retailer to say shoplifting is squeezing margins

#107

Post by CameronNemo »

imgabe wrote: post #84
dragonwriter wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

“Having ethics beyond ‘whatever acts of trade are legal are ethical and ‘harmless’ regardless of their context and actual consequences’ is crazy” is, well, I’d describe that as a crazy thing that, apparently, some people believe.

Ethics might as well be religion. People decide based on emotion and come up with reasons after. If you read an article about Dollar Tree and it makes you feel bad and you don’t want to shop there, that’s your prerogative. For me, I’m not interested in being guilted into assuming ethical responsibility for the decisions of the Dollar Tree management. I presume they are adults of sound mind so the responsibility for t…

You don't understand economics.

Re: Dollar Tree is the latest retailer to say shoplifting is squeezing margins

#108

Post by nate_meurer »

phone8675309 wrote: post #98
ibejoeb wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

Police departments have well defined use-of-force policies for property crimes including theft and vandalism. This is theft. Pretty simple.

If a suspect flees, resists, or gets violent, then different use-of-force policies will naturally apply.

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