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

marketwatch.com

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

#3

Post by orionblastar »

h2odragon wrote: post #2

If 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.

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

#4

Post by prepend »

h2odragon wrote: post #2

If 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.

Is anyone truly needy enough to shoplift? I’m not sure how we would get good data but I’ve known a lot of shoplifters and none of them needed the food.

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

#5

Post by op00to »

h2odragon wrote: post #2

If 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.

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.

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

#6

Post by jrflowers »

prepend wrote: post #4
h2odragon wrote: post #2

If 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.

Is anyone truly needy enough to shoplift? I’m not sure how we would get good data but I’ve known a lot of shoplifters and none of them needed the food.

I like this reasoning. To take it further, is anyone truly needy enough to shop at a dollar tree? I’m not sure how we would get good data, but I suspect everybody has what they need at all times based off of the fact that I’ve never known anyone that is starving.

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

#7

Post by tehwebguy »

op00to wrote: post #5
h2odragon wrote: post #2

If 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.

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.

I don't get it, if Dollar Tree sells basically everything for $1.25 the wholesale cost must be so low that corner stores have basically no room to save money by buying stolen goods.

Anyway, if there are really criminal enterprises doing this it seems like it would take marginal investigative work to uncover and nail down.

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

#8

Post by spiderice »

tehwebguy wrote: post #7
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.

I don't get it, if Dollar Tree sells basically everything for $1.25 the wholesale cost must be so low that corner stores have basically no room to save money by buying stolen goods. Anyway, if there are really criminal enterprises doing this it seems like it would take marginal investigative work to uncover and nail down.

Yeah GP really needs a source for their claim.

They’re basically saying that criminal organizations can steal incredibly cheap trinkets and sell them below cost… apparently at volume. Seems ridiculously unlikely.

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

#9

Post by NoZebra120vClip »

jrflowers wrote: post #6
prepend wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is anyone truly needy enough to shoplift? I’m not sure how we would get good data but I’ve known a lot of shoplifters and none of them needed the food.

I like this reasoning. To take it further, is anyone truly needy enough to shop at a dollar tree? I’m not sure how we would get good data, but I suspect everybody has what they need at all times based off of the fact that I’ve never known anyone that is starving.

I'm not especially needy, but I enjoy Dollar Tree shopping for a few reasons.

One, it's literally the closest store to my home with any inventory. It's around the corner in my backyard. So that's a plus.

Two, I was introduced to this mode of shopping when I told my friend I needed to purchase a greeting card. Of course, cards cost $4-5 retail and she protested, saying the Dollar Tree would have cards for $1 and under. I found this to be true; they have two-for-ones, and they even have packs of ten. So I pick up all my greeting cards there.

There are other items that are ideal to source from the Dollar Tree. When you want some tacky, simple holiday décor. When you want books full of glittery stickers or markers for a kids' project. Crystal Geyser spring water, or a simple sore-muscle cream that only contains capsaicin.

I don't think choosing where to shop is a question of being needy, but judicious about value vs. cost vs. effort. I do plenty of thrifting and big-box shopping as well. There are certain things where I simply insist on purchasing new/retail and you won't catch me pulling it off the shelf at a thrift.

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