Walmart to shutter Portland locations just months after CEO’s warnings on crime

[TheVig]

Walmart to shutter Portland locations just months after CEO’s warnings on crime

 

Quote

"Theft is an issue. It’s higher than what it has historically been," Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said in December on CNBC. He added that "prices will be higher and/or stores will close" if authorities don’t crack down on prosecuting shoplifting crimes. 

 

Quote

"Our city is in peril," a printed note posted on Rains PDX store read. "Small businesses (and large) cannot sustain doing business, in our city’s current state. We have no protection, or recourse, against the criminal behavior that goes unpunished. Do not be fooled into thinking that insurance companies cover losses. We have sustained 15 break-ins … we have not received any financial reimbursement since the 3rd."

 

 

 

[MP80]

Yeah, I think I realized where the problem is...

 

At Walmart, almost half of the daily business is from self-checkout machines.

 

Since their introduction, self-checkouts have been a seemingly easy target for shoplifters, it's time to ban these self-checkout machines and rehire those cashiers for new employment.

[TheVig]

1 hour ago, MP80 said:

Yeah, I think I realized where the problem is...

 

At Walmart, almost half of the daily business is from self-checkout machines.

 

Since their introduction, self-checkouts have been a seemingly easy target for shoplifters, it's time to ban these self-checkout machines and rehire those cashiers for new employment.

 

This is how you fix it.

 

 

Edited March 5 by TheVig

[MP80]

32 minutes ago, TheVig said:

 

This is how you fix it.

 

 

Asking for trouble, aren't you?

 

Well, you're not supposed to steal from a criminal syndicate.

[hegemony]

if walmart starts leaving places where it decimated small businesses that would make local economies great again!

[TheVig]

3 hours ago, hegemony said:

if walmart starts leaving places where it decimated small businesses that would make local economies great again!

 

Dollar General or Family Dollar will just move in.

[Bad Doctor Frost]

5 hours ago, TheVig said:

 

Dollar General or Family Dollar will just move in.

Yep. If theft is too high for Wallyworld, there's no way local mom and pops will survive the theft. I can't work up much sympathy though. They wanted these soft on crime policies. Enjoy!

[MP80]

9 hours ago, hegemony said:

if walmart starts leaving places where it decimated small businesses that would make local economies great again!

Yep, haven't seen these mini stores since the Oakland A's won the World Series. The mom-and-pop shops that used to thrive everywhere, with one every few blocks in residential neighborhoods, have all but disappeared.

I remember my relative owning one of these three-story residential buildings with a mini store on the ground floor. During my summer getaway, I remembered stocking up on a bunch of 5 Avenue, Milky Way, Mounds Bar, and Almond Joy candy bars on one of the store's shelves. The back of this mini store has a lot of space in addition to being used as storage space, my relatives have offices and living areas built in the back of the store. Today, you hardly see these mom-and-pop stores because of the potential dangers of armed robbery which can be deadly if not handled with quick wits correctly.

 

 

5 hours ago, TheVig said:

 

Dollar General or Family Dollar will just move in.

There is a Dollar Tree store in a huge plaza mall with Target and Walmart in it, this Dollar Tree store only has 2 employees working and there are homeless beggars hanging around at night. I just went there yesterday and wanted to buy some WD-40 but was sold out and just bought some vitamin D3 and some vitamin E for $1.25 each.

 

Those Dollar Tree stores can dent the business of Walmart and Target stores and may be immune to armed robbery, but they're not immune to shoplifting either.

[TheVig]

17 hours ago, MP80 said:

Yep, haven't seen these mini stores since the Oakland A's won the World Series. The mom-and-pop shops that used to thrive everywhere, with one every few blocks in residential neighborhoods, have all but disappeared.

I remember my relative owning one of these three-story residential buildings with a mini store on the ground floor. During my summer getaway, I remembered stocking up on a bunch of 5 Avenue, Milky Way, Mounds Bar, and Almond Joy candy bars on one of the store's shelves. The back of this mini store has a lot of space in addition to being used as storage space, my relatives have offices and living areas built in the back of the store. Today, you hardly see these mom-and-pop stores because of the potential dangers of armed robbery which can be deadly if not handled with quick wits correctly.

 

 

There is a Dollar Tree store in a huge plaza mall with Target and Walmart in it, this Dollar Tree store only has 2 employees working and there are homeless beggars hanging around at night. I just went there yesterday and wanted to buy some WD-40 but was sold out and just bought some vitamin D3 and some vitamin E for $1.25 each.

 

Those Dollar Tree stores can dent the business of Walmart and Target stores and may be immune to armed robbery, but they're not immune to shoplifting either.

 

Dollar General. Family Dollar, and Dollar Tree prefer to be just far enough from Walmart these days if they can help it. These dollar stores love building stores out in the middle of nowhere these days. They don't have to compete anybody, and Cletus doesn't have to drive as far to get processed foods, Newports.

 

Philly still has some mom and pop type bodegas left. Get everything from a usb cord, to postage stamp, to a cheesesteak. Also known as papi stores.

Edited March 6 by TheVig

[centex]

On 3/5/2023 at 7:59 PM, Bad Doctor Frost said:

Yep. If theft is too high for Wallyworld, there's no way local mom and pops will survive the theft. I can't work up much sympathy though. They wanted these soft on crime policies. Enjoy!

A mom and pop outfit might just empower their employees to take steps to deter such actions...

[TheVig]

Sure, blame it on the pandemic. 
 

 

[FoxSamual]

I currently live in the Portland metro.  This is less about shoplifting and more about sales numbers.  Of course, that doesn't fit into the current media narrative about Portland being a dystopian nightmare, so..... 😏

 

Shoplifting problem is just as bad in PDX suburbs as it is in city proper and those Wally Worlds aren't going anywhere.

 

City of Portland has always been a lousy cultural fit for Walmart.  It's a point of pride for most Portlanders to never to step foot in a Wally World.

 

Target still has stores in the city limits. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[FoxSamual]

On 3/5/2023 at 5:59 PM, Bad Doctor Frost said:

there's no way local mom and pops will survive the theft. I can't work up much sympathy though. They wanted these soft on crime policies. Enjoy!

 

It's a big bone of contention locally that our strapped police forces keep finding the resources to stage photo ops sting operations in big box retailers while telling the Mom and Pop shops "Tough luck, we don't have the resources to help you."

 

I can't deep dive the whole story without breaking the "no politics" rule, suffice it to say, it's a lot more than "soft on crime" policies.  Portland Police (PPB) are essentially throwing a temper tantrum and refusing to do their jobs.  It's a three year long "blue flu".  They certainly have legitimate gripes and legitimate staffing problems.  So does every other local police agency.  Yet it's only Portland where the cops will tell you to your face, "We can't help you, go out and vote if that bothers you."

 

Every Portlander I know who has been a victim of a crime got some version of that line.

 

I have a friend who was hit by an uninsured motorist, who (to their credit) did stop and wait for the cops.  PPB let that person go without even writing a traffic ticket!  They drove away without insurance after hitting a pedestrian.  If I got pulled over by Oregon State Police without insurance, or any agency except PPB, I'd be left on the side of the road holding a ticket while watching my car being impounded, and waiting for me at home would be a letter from DMV confirming the suspension of my driver's license.

 

There's no policy in Portland or Oregon to be "soft" on uninsured motorists, no politics surround that particular crime, it was simply another example of a PPB officer refusing to do their job.  Dude had the time to shoot the breeze with my friend for the better part of an hour but not the time to write a ticket and call for a tow truck?

 

No matter how you feel about the politics of Portland, most of us do not have the luxury to simply refuse to do our job without being fired.  It's one thing to be short staffed and prioritize what you respond to (the suburban agencies all do this, heck, I have to do this at work.....) but only in Portland have I seen the police blatantly and consistently refuse to do their job.

 

[TheVig]

@FoxSamual

 

I have family in Portland. They don't bother with the police too much. They deal with most things on their own.

 

Btw, If you ever here of a local news story of some crackhead getting shocked for urinating on somebody's shrubs or flower beds, please share it here.