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Why it’s hard to buy deodorant in Manhattan

economist.com

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Re: Why it’s hard to buy deodorant in Manhattan

#561

Post by concordDance »

dls2016 wrote: post #363
axutio wrote: post #161

Most of the comments here are ignoring the difference between regular old shoplifting and the trend driving the increase discussed in the article, which they're referring to as "organized retail crime". I think it's very fair to have differing attitudes/moral thresholds for an impoverished mother shoplifting a week's worth of baby formula versus "a couple in Alabama [which] pled guilty to shifting $300,000-worth of s…

> Most of the comments here are ignoring the difference between regular old shoplifting and the trend driving the increase discussed in the article, which they're referring to as "organized retail crime". I guess, but conversely I'd argue that organized retail theft has been around pretty much as long as supply chains have existed. That's the mob's bread and butter. The phrase "riding shotgun" is in common use. Perha…

Having extra staff will have no effect on shoplifting if it isn't prosecuted and the police don't arest for it.

And note that security measures are deadweight loss to society.

Re: Why it’s hard to buy deodorant in Manhattan

#562

Post by d1sxeyes »

ehnto wrote: post #527
crackercrews wrote: post #519

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How many do you go through? Probably 2 for me. Definitely not more than 3.

I think this conversation will be measuring string. Too many variables. What size container? What's the weather like where you are? How much do you put on each application? What do you do day to day? What's the weather like where you live? I live in Australia, and I am really active. Safe to say I will be sweating a lot more than someone living in Alaska who's a homebody, and so may use a bit more deodorant.

Perversely, I often find my use of deodorant increases in colder weather. Primarily this is because where I live, people seem to want to compensate by adding one degree to the thermostat for every degree it falls below 21—inside in winter can be absolutely boiling.

This is made even worse by the fact that in order to leave the building (or when you first arrive), you're dressed for the outside weather.

Re: Why it’s hard to buy deodorant in Manhattan

#563

Post by midasuni »

nine_k wrote: post #391
lupire wrote: post #218

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So to block counterfiets and fencing, we need a verifiable chain of custody.

Buying a deodorant? Please show your biometric government ID.

In the U.K. you have to pay a premium not to use your corporate ID card. Tesco for example will charge a 20% markup on lunch for privacy.

Re: Why it’s hard to buy deodorant in Manhattan

#564

Post by concordDance »

jahnu wrote: post #520
oerpli wrote: post #410

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But the streets are safer with some of those people in Riker.

Short term. What happens long term? What are the aggregate consequences of such policies to society? I don't know the answers to these questions, I would want an expert to weigh in.

Probably mostly positive actually. Removing people who either have poor self control or little ability to find productive work means they don't teach those habits to their children and those around them.

This does not mean the answer is executions though, as people's lives and happiness have value even if they're scumbags.

Re: Why it’s hard to buy deodorant in Manhattan

#566

Post by ekianjo »

echelon wrote: post #497
bushbaba wrote: post #462

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except products like deodorant are considered health products. Amazon doesn’t just let you easily sell health products, you need to produce invoices, receipts, etc. More likely this stuff is sold on ebay

> Amazon doesn’t just let you easily sell health products, you need to produce invoices, receipts, etc. I sure hope so. Amazon seems to only carry many common household items through dubious 3rd party sellers. On the subject of deodorant, I've received the wrong type from Amazon multiple times, including some that obviously came from a foreign market. I ordered Dove. That can't be difficult to source from the manufac…

I dont know about Unilever (Dove) but actually a lot of manufacturers do not sell directly thru Amazon. For numerous reasons.

Re: Why it’s hard to buy deodorant in Manhattan

#567

Post by tacker2000 »

eek2121 wrote: post #494
bushbaba wrote: post #462

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except products like deodorant are considered health products. Amazon doesn’t just let you easily sell health products, you need to produce invoices, receipts, etc. More likely this stuff is sold on ebay

No, instead they reach out to Amazon to school a sweet deal directly. I think a lot of people forget that a typical retailer relationship is manufacturer => distributor => retailer. Large companies like Amazon often can (and do) negotiate directly with manufacturers, however, sometimes larger distributors can offer a better deal. This is why, for example, you'll sometimes find Amazon themselves selling fake SD cards.

Sure, but Amazon chooses the companies they buy directly from (its called Amazon Vendor Central) very carefully and they only buy from people who are already established 3rd party sellers on Seller Central, so im not sure these small time thieves are able to do that.

But it could be that maybe one of them is a legit seller/vendor and buys these stolen goods off of these crooks or doesnt even know about the fact that they are stolen.

There are lots of Facebook groups for amazon sellers where people often post “liquidation” sales so maybe this could be a way to do it.

Re: Why it’s hard to buy deodorant in Manhattan

#568

Post by thfuran »

leni536 wrote: post #547
ryandrake wrote: post #470

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I’ve also noticed a weird tendency to downplay theft lately, either through projecting a theoretical moral justification on to the shoplifter or by insinuating that retail stores are evil corporations and therefore deserve no sympathy. Let me try to convince you without defending the morality of the shoplifter or declaring corporations evil. 1. On the totem pole of crimes, petty shoplifting (without violence) is pr…

> These corporations that are being robbed already build shrinkage into their budgets. Doesn't this just mean that it is priced in? So thiefs are stealing from paying customers.

Yes, it does.

Re: Why it’s hard to buy deodorant in Manhattan

#569

Post by concordDance »

standardUser wrote: post #97
mancerayder wrote: post #72

What's amazing is how no one is honing in on the real reason this is happening, the DA's office combined with state laws make it hard to bail people and send people to prison. That's the decision made, and it's referred to as the carceral system. It's something viewed as urgently needing reform, and that's how the progressive DA's operate. Look at Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan DA's program ( https://www.manhattanda.org/…

Do you honestly think shoplifters should be locked in a cage?

Ideally they'd be given corporal punishment by perfectly morally upstanding cops. This is cheap, fast, doesn't stop them working and doesn't put them in an environment where they're around lots of hardened convicts.

I leave the problem of getting perfectly upstanding policemen who will not abuse their powers as an exercise to the reader.

Re: Why it’s hard to buy deodorant in Manhattan

#570

Post by rahilb »

public_defender wrote: post #317
bhk wrote: post #294

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is clearly not true. > Manhattan D.A. Acts on Vow to Seek Incarceration Only for Worst Crimes > The district attorney, Alvin Bragg, told prosecutors in his office in a memo that they should ask judges for jail or prison time only for the most serious offenses — including murder, sexual assault and economic crimes involving vast sums of money — unless the law requires them to do otherwise. https://www.nytimes.com…

It clearly is true. I can actually watch it happen. You can too, if you go to arraignments in NYC. The line ADAs have no discretion to dismiss petit larceny (shoplifting) at arraignment. They need supervisor approval. There are other cases like driving under suspension (VTL 511 -- mentioned in GP) where they do have this discretion. There is a reason for the difference, which is that petit larceny is a priority. Also…

It can both true that those shoplifters getting caught are punished to the full extent of the law and that it is hard to catch 50/50 people who were in a shop for 30 seconds and arrest them for shoplifting. So hard in fact that if the police are not physically there before it is happening there is likely zero chance to catch anyone in these groups.

The crime is perfect.

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