No Walgreens For You

[bcla]

At my Costco, they have an employee who stands in the middle of the self checkouts and yells that it is truly self checkout. You must scan your own items. If you need assistance checking out go to a full service register. It is really annoying as the employee is yelling it over and over while you are checking out.

There's usually just one or two employees at self-checkout at my closest location. They're only there to clear it when an item is scanned twice or there's some problem. Another thing they can do that a member can't do without them is order food from the food court. Why there isn't a way to select that yourself seems a little bit odd. You know - just a selection on the home page for "food court" that's just like the self-serve kiosks that everyone has to use these days outside or ordering from checkout.

 

[bcla]

Well - apparently the police will go after thieves, although this one seemed to be a highly coordinated smash and grab at several luxury goods retailers in the Union Square area of San Francisco. Apparently they managed to get everyone.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1462177099305914377

https://www.ktvu.com/news/video-sho...ton-store-after-it-was-emptied-out-by-thieves

SFPD certainly wasn't messing around when they raced down a Mustang apparently driven as a getaway car and bashed in all the windows with their batons before yanking the passenger and driver out of the car.

 

[bcla]

There was sentencing handed down for a large shoplifting ring. They apparently had their own warehouse and were primarily sending the items to other countries.

https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-relea...es-sentencing-group-involved-organized-retail​

BURLINGAME – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced the sentencing of multiple defendants involved in a scheme to resell goods stolen from Bay Area retailers. During a search and arrest warrant operation in September 2020, law enforcement seized and recovered approximately $8 million of stolen merchandise from retailers such as CVS, Target, and Walgreens, as well as $85,000 in U.S. currency from the defendants’ warehouse, residences, and storage facilities. Each of the five defendants has pleaded guilty to various felony charges, including conspiracy to commit organized retail theft, receiving stolen property, money laundering, and a special allegation of the aggravated white collar enhancement of over $500,000. The lead defendant, Danny Louis Drago, is scheduled to be sentenced to six years in state prison on February 25, 2022.​

​

https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2...busted-smash-and-grab-attorney-general-bonta/​

The investigation began in April 2020 and led to the discovery of a major theft ring dealing in stolen property from burglaries across the Bay Area. According to the complaint, defendants transported, stored, and sold stolen goods in other countries and laundered the money back to the United States.​

 

[bcla]

So there's been some research done into where all this stolen stuff goes.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Where-does-merchandise-stolen-from-Bay-Area-16689770.php​

“Once they’re contacted by retailers and law enforcement, most online platforms downright refuse to cooperate,” said Lisa LaBruno, senior executive vice president at the Retail Industry Leaders Association. “A retailer reaches out and says, ‘I believe this seller is selling our stolen product; can you provide me with the most cursory of information?’ The answer is generally, ‘No,’ or, ‘Get a subpoena.’ ”​

​

But e-commerce companies contacted by The Chronicle all said they crack down on stolen goods and work with the legal system.​

​

“Amazon does not allow third-party sellers to list stolen goods in our store, and we work closely with law enforcement, retailers, and brands to stop bad actors and hold them accountable,” Amazon spokesman Alex Haurek said in an email.​

​

Haurek said Amazon requests “proofs of sourcing when we have concerns about how a seller may have obtained particular products.” The company said it dedicated $700 million and 10,000 people last year to thwart fraud and abuse, and added new ways to verify sellers’ addresses through video chat, in person or via snail mail.​

I guess before stolen goods might be fenced at flea markets or even on the street. I've been to certainly places where stuff is sold in neighborhoods (typically laid out on a blanket) from seemingly unlicensed sellers. Not sure if they're all stolen goods, but I suspect it's a mix of stuff that's legitimately purchased, known stolen items, and perhaps some where the supplier might claim they "fell from a truck".

But it's a lot easier now with online retail marketplaces. Not just Amazon and eBay, but others that might not have the same standards, nor the resources/desire to track down sellers of stolen goods.

 

[robinb]

The proof of sourcing in real at Amazon. I was a Third Party Seller for over 10 years until the Kindle killed used book sales. I had picked up about 30 brand new white unitard Halloween slender man type outfits from a local university bookstore. They were $1 each and sold for about $25 on Amazon so I bought all I could get. I posted them as new and in less than a day, my listing was taken down. I had to show them proof that I purchased them from a direct source and buying them retail did not count. I ended up selling every last one of them on eBay but for less. I still made a nice profit.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I would imagine this sort of thing will have the unintended consequence of a chilling effect of tourist shopping and the tax revenue that comes from it. Between crime outside the stores and crime inside the stores, who needs it? I'll totally steer clear if we make it to the area in 2022.

 

[bcla]

Well - I've seen about everything now. It was really weird because it was at a Ross Dress for Less store, but I was there because I had items at one of the Amazon lockers they had there.

Some guy had clothes just piled in his arms and he walked out yelling "I'm invisible". I think loss prevention and a couple of employees followed him out but couldn't find him. In any case they've got cameras everywhere, so I'm sure police will be looking out for him. And I'm not sure what to do with all those security tags, although if this was organized they might have access to the tag removal tools.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Well - I've seen about everything now. It was really weird because it was at a Ross Dress for Less store, but I was there because I had items at one of the Amazon lockers they had there.

Some guy had clothes just piled in his arms and he walked out yelling "I'm invisible". I think loss prevention and a couple of employees followed him out but couldn't find him. In any case they've got cameras everywhere, so I'm sure police will be looking out for him. And I'm not sure what to do with all those security tags, although if this was organized they might have access to the tag removal tools.

It's hilarious because that's what happens when you tell criminals that crime is no longer criminal, it's literally a case study is why laws and enforcement are necessary.
On a serious note, I wonder how long until the tax breaks stop making keeping these stores open worth it so they all close &/or these communities start getting clearance only items because consequences are a thing.

Could be my dark NYC sense of humor was shaped in NYC 80's & 90's but reading these stories is genuinely amusing, this should all turn out nicely & land in many textbooks for years to come.

 

[BrianL]

Well - I've seen about everything now. It was really weird because it was at a Ross Dress for Less store, but I was there because I had items at one of the Amazon lockers they had there.

Some guy had clothes just piled in his arms and he walked out yelling "I'm invisible". I think loss prevention and a couple of employees followed him out but couldn't find him. In any case they've got cameras everywhere, so I'm sure police will be looking out for him. And I'm not sure what to do with all those security tags, although if this was organized they might have access to the tag removal tools.

Wait - they followed him out and couldn't find him? Maybe he was invisible!

 

[bcla]

Wait - they followed him out and couldn't find him? Maybe he was invisible!

They actually waited about a good 30 seconds before making any attempt to follow. He could have easily been tackled by four or five employees in the store. In any case, they probably have high def cameras and the police have his mug right now.

It was clear that they weren't allowed to detain him by corporate policy. It's the usual, where the company pays if anyone gets hurt - especially the employees.

 

[BrianL]

They actually waited about a good 30 seconds before making any attempt to follow. He could have easily been tackled by four or five employees in the store. In any case, they probably have high def cameras and the police have his mug right now.

It was clear that they weren't allowed to detain him by corporate policy. It's the usual, where the company pays if anyone gets hurt - especially the employees.

They should never tackle a shoplifter. Procedure should be to follow the person out and get the license plate number if possible. I worked in a video store and one time someone tried to walk out with an armload of movies. I was not there at the time, but as I heard it, the assistant manager tried to stop him and the guy punched him in the face hard and ran out. A lot of the other employees (the younger ones) chased him out and tried to catch him. The store manager also ran out - after them not the shoplifter - but around the corner the shoplifter got the jump on the store manager and stabbed him. He ended up with a collapsed lung! But I'm sure that the former Marine store manager was happy it was him and not one of the kids. It's not worth it over a handful of merchandise.

 

[Sinder]

Why should an employee making minimum wage risk injury or worse to stop a criminal that won’t be punished anyway?
There is a way to get this kind of stuff to stop, or at least occur much less frequently but people will continue to choose to let this stuff happen, and complain that it does

 

[NotUrsula]

There is a professor at U.Florida that is running a huge lab that studies shoplifting behavior. They actually bring in folks convicted of it and have them demonstrate techniques and interview them about deterrents. (Deterrence appears to be the best way to handle shrinkage; if you make it not worth a criminal's while to rob your store, they will usually go elsewhere.) https://explore.research.ufl.edu/retail-security.html

 

[bcla]

Now they have a new story.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/05/walgreens-may-have-overstated-theft-concerns.html​

During an earnings call, the company’s chief financial officer, James Kehoe, said shrinkage was about 3.5% of sales last year but that number is now closer to the “mid twos.” He also said the company would consider moving away from hiring private security guards.​

​

“Maybe we cried too much last year,” Kehoe said. “We’re stabilized,” he added, saying the company is “quite happy with where we are.”​

​

Shrinkage is the difference between a company’s recorded inventory on their balance sheet and its actual inventory. It primarily accounts for items that were shoplifted but also includes inventory that was damaged, lost or stolen by employees.​

​

Over the last two years, Walgreens has been raising the alarm about increased theft. As a result, it hired private security guards and locked up merchandise so it can’t be accessed without a store associate.​

​

Kehoe said the company has spent a “fair amount” to crack down on the thefts but acknowledged the private security companies they’ve hired have been “largely ineffective.” These guards can do very little but call law enforcement or hold a suspect until police arrive.​

​

“We’ve put in incremental security in the stores in the first quarter. Actually, probably we put in too much. We might step back a little bit from that,” said Kehoe. The company is using more law enforcement as opposed to private security, he added.​

 

[becauseimnew]

I see shoplifting at my Walgreens about 75% of the time I'm there. I don't blame employees for not doing anything.

 

[sam_gordon]

Now they have a new story.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/05/walgreens-may-have-overstated-theft-concerns.html​

During an earnings call, the company’s chief financial officer, James Kehoe, said shrinkage was about 3.5% of sales last year but that number is now closer to the “mid twos.” He also said the company would consider moving away from hiring private security guards.​

​

“Maybe we cried too much last year,” Kehoe said. “We’re stabilized,” he added, saying the company is “quite happy with where we are.”​

​

Shrinkage is the difference between a company’s recorded inventory on their balance sheet and its actual inventory. It primarily accounts for items that were shoplifted but also includes inventory that was damaged, lost or stolen by employees.​

​

Over the last two years, Walgreens has been raising the alarm about increased theft. As a result, it hired private security guards and locked up merchandise so it can’t be accessed without a store associate.​

​

Kehoe said the company has spent a “fair amount” to crack down on the thefts but acknowledged the private security companies they’ve hired have been “largely ineffective.” These guards can do very little but call law enforcement or hold a suspect until police arrive.​

​

“We’ve put in incremental security in the stores in the first quarter. Actually, probably we put in too much. We might step back a little bit from that,” said Kehoe. The company is using more law enforcement as opposed to private security, he added.​

Am I missing something? 2021 (I guess that's what "last year" refers to, the shrinkage was 3.5%. They hire security guards for some stores, locked up merchandise, and closed other stores, and shrinkage went down the "mid twos". Wouldn't that show that the things they implemented WORKED?

Now, maybe the steps they implemented cost too much in other ways and that's why they want to get away from them?

 

[bcla]

Am I missing something? 2021 (I guess that's what "last year" refers to, the shrinkage was 3.5%. They hire security guards for some stores, locked up merchandise, and closed other stores, and shrinkage went down the "mid twos". Wouldn't that show that the things they implemented WORKED?

Now, maybe the steps they implemented cost too much in other ways and that's why they want to get away from them?

I think what might have worked was actual police. I've heard of Target stores where they've coordinated with local police to have officers in stores as a visible presence. Or perhaps a means to contact police quickly.

My frustration is that my kid loves Hot Wheels, but we've been to stores where they're actually locked up in glass cabinets. Makes it really hard to browse since the store employee has to remain there to lock it back up.

 

[bcla]

Just a follow up where an armed security guard at a Walgreens in San Francisco got into a scuffle with an apparently shoplifter and eventually shot and killed him. There's a lot of controversy over the piddling amount of merchandise he apparently stole, the new mandate by the security company to actually recover merchandise, and that the man shot may have been attempting to retreat. But the guard claims that the accused shoplifter had threatened to stab him and that he felt like the guy made a sudden move that might have indicated that he might have been reaching for a weapon. But in the end the San Francisco DA declined to charge him with a crime.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/banko-brown-charges-video-walgreens-shooting-18099516.php​

During a three-hour interrogation with homicide inspectors from just after midnight to 3 a.m. on April 28, Anthony said he commanded that Brown return items to store shelves — adhering to a new policy from his employer, Kingdom Group Protective Services, which instructed guards to engage in “hands on” recovery of stolen merchandise. Then Brown became combative and said he intended to stab Anthony, the guard told investigators, without ever producing a knife.​

​

“(T)hat’s what really put the fear in my heart,” Anthony told detectives.​

​

Kingdom Group said in a statement that the company was “fully cooperating with law enforcement in the investigation of this extremely unfortunate incident.”​

​

After Anthony’s arrest, Jenkins signaled her intent not to file charges, saying that the evidence “clearly shows that the suspect believed he was in mortal danger and acted in self-defense.” Brown’s family and supporters pushed back, as did local politicians — some of them reliable critics of Jenkins — who accused the D.A. of failing to hold Walgreens accountable. Jenkins seemed to backtrack a week later, reminding people that the investigation was still ongoing, before delivering her final decision on Monday.​

 

[TLSnell1981]

No issues here!