A Walmart in Atlanta will add a feature to combat retail theft: an on-site police station or mini-precinct that doubles as a deterrent for shoplifters and a workplace for officers.
The store is scheduled to open in May 2024 after being closed for nearly a year after shoplifters set fire to the building to distract attention from their theft.
The Walmart fire was one of many arson incidents involving major retailers such as Target and another Walmart in Atlanta.
The unprecedented decision comes after retailers lost nearly $100 billion in thefts, often involving violent crimes.
A Walmart in Atlanta will add a feature to combat retail theft: an on-site police station or mini-precinct that doubles as a deterrent for shoplifters and a workplace for officers
The unprecedented decision comes after retailers lost nearly $100 billion in thefts, often involving violent crimes. CEO Doug McMillon said the number of thefts is at an all-time high
The store is scheduled to open in May 2024 after being closed for almost a year after shoplifters set fire to the building to distract from their theft (the suspect pictured).
Walmart alone loses a whopping $3 billion annually due to theft and shoplifting.
In addition to deterring criminal activity, the mini-precincts serve as a place for officers to recharge their batteries and complete paperwork.
The decision comes after discussions among city officials, business leaders and community members who have expressed a desire for a greater police presence in the area.
Mayor Andre Dickens said Walmart will receive a $1.5 million initiative aimed at expanding access to fresh food in low-income communities, according to Rough Draft Atlanta.
After the fire incident, Dickens said he “directly engaged Walmart to ensure the reopening of this store,” emphasizing its commitment to providing accessible and affordable items to the City of Vine’s many low-income residents.
“You think about going into that Walmart to shoplift or rob or whatever – you see the APD logo and you say, ‘Ah, not today,'” Dickens told the community at a meeting, where the new concept was discussed.
He assured the public that police presence would increase in the neighborhood.
“After talking to the Merchants Association on MLK Drive and Clark University and other people in the neighborhood, people said they wanted more police presence,” Mayor Andre Dickens said, according to Rough Draft Atlanta.
Walmart announced the decision to reopen the damaged store in January.
Walmart alone loses a whopping $3 billion annually due to theft and shoplifting. Major retailers in the US have been forced to close their stores due to millions of dollars in losses as rampant thefts hit major retail stores across the country
Walmart decided to permanently close the store at 1801 Howell Mill Road in Berkeley Park – another location that had been closed since mid-December following an arson attack
After the fire incident, Dickens said he “directly engaged Walmart to ensure the reopening of this store,” emphasizing its commitment to providing accessible and affordable items to the City of Vine’s many low-income residents
Target has announced it will close four stores in three cities in the coming months after suffering an extraordinary $400 million loss in profits from organized shoplifting gangs last November
However, the company decided to permanently close the store at 1801 Howell Mill Road in Berkeley Park – another location that had been closed since mid-December following a fire incident.
More than 20 other Walmart locations in the U.S. have closed their doors so far this year, many due to “subpar performance.”
While the company hasn’t cited shoplifting as a cause for the low performance, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said theft is becoming a growing problem in stores across the U.S. — and if the problem persists, it could lead to store closures, according to CNBC lead .
In recent years, an increasing number of major retailers in the U.S. have been forced to close stores as major stores across the country have suffered millions of dollars in losses.
In April, Walmart announced it would close four of its stores in Chicago, just weeks after America’s largest employer closed its only stores in Portland.
Target has announced it will close four stores in three cities in the coming months after it lost an extraordinary $400 million in profits to organized shoplifting gangs last November
Shoplifting rates are reaching alarming levels, and other major retailers, including Target, Macy’s and Best Buy, are now following through on threats to close their stores if petty crime doesn’t go down.
In 2021, retailers lost a total of $94.5 billion due to shrinkage, a term that describes theft and other types of inventory losses. According to the 2022 National Retail Security Survey, organized retail crime incidents increased by 26.5 percent in the same year.
In addition to brazen daylight thefts, self-checkout checkouts have also made it easier for people to walk out of the store without paying.
Progressive district attorneys in cities like Chicago, New York, Portland and California have also been accused of effectively legalizing shoplifting by either not prosecuting thefts under $950 or letting criminals get away with a slap on the wrist.