Target will close 9 stores due to theft and insecurity of employees

Target reported that it will close nine stores in the country due to the increase in violence and merchandise theft. The stores that will stop operating are in cities governed by Democrats.

This Tuesday, the retail company revealed that insecurity in some of the cities in which it operates has made commercial performance “unsustainable,” which is why it decided to close selected locations.

“We cannot continue operating these stores because theft and organized retail crime are threatening the safety of our team and guests, and contributing to unsustainable business performance. We know that our stores serve an important role in their communities, but we can only be successful if the working and shopping environment is safe for all,” Target said in a statement.

The stores that will permanently stop operating as of October 21 are located in: New York City, Seattle, San Francisco and Portland. All cities are governed by Democrats.

“Before making this decision, we invested heavily in strategies to prevent and stop theft and organized retail crime in our stores, such as adding more security team members, using third-party guard services, and implementing theft-deterrent tools across our business. Despite our efforts, unfortunately, we continue to face fundamental challenges to operating these stores safely and successfully," the company said, highlighting that this is a problem it cannot solve on its own.

Dozens of retail stores closed

Target is not the only company that has been forced to close the doors of several of its stores due to the increase in thefts. Walmart, Best Buy and other companies have also closed stores in cities such as Chicago, California and Washington.

The soft hand against crime

Jan Kniffen, the CEO of retail research firm J Rogers Kniffen, attributes the rise in thefts to the soft crackdown on crime.

Cities such as Chicago, New York, Portland and San Francisco have implemented measures to not prosecute criminals who steal less than $950, leaving those who commit minor crimes free.

“We’re in a period where bad behavior is legitimized, even normalized,” criticized Mark Cohen, director of retail studies at Columbia Business School, in the past.