Gerald Storch, CEO of Storch Advisors and former CEO of Toys 'R' Us, weighs in on retail crime and the reopening of the iconic children's store in the US
Two major retailers have begun locking up underwear in their California stores amid a wave of retail thefts in the state.
Several retail stores from different parts of the country have maintained lockdowns on beauty, hygiene and cleaning products in recent years, but efforts to limit the loss of goods through theft are reportedly spreading to the clothing department of some stores in the Golden State . according to a report from a local outlet.
To prevent the loss of additional inventory, some Target and Walmart stores in the San Francisco Bay Area have locked up underwear and socks, frustrating customers who have to wait for help to get the underwear they want.
A report from NBC Bay Area notes that the effort has drawn the attention of those who shop in stores and find inconvenience with the new method.
RETAILERS WILL LOSE $112 BILLION IN 2022 FROM “PROVEN SCALE” THEFTS.
Some Target and Walmart stores in the San Francisco Bay Area have locked up underwear and socks, frustrating customers who have to wait for help to get the underwear they want. (Getty Images/Getty Images)
“It gets to the point, 'What's it like in the ghetto that they have to lock up the socks or whatever they have under the key?'” shopper Olga Leon told the outlet.
Shopper Curtis Edwards pointed out the problems arising from the initiative, saying: “I would be very upset… I would have to call someone to come off the counter to get socks.”
Two Target stores in the East Bay area — one in Richmond and one in Pleasant Hill — are already suspending underwear sales, the store said. A customer reportedly had to wait ten minutes for a store employee to open his suitcase so he could buy boxer shorts.
Walmart, another major retailer that has been the target of several organized thefts in recent years, is also beginning to implement underwear lockdown measures.
A Walmart store in the Hilltop area has started locking up underwear, and the store is being vandalized almost daily by shoplifters, store clerks say.
In a statement to the outlet, Richmond City Council member Cesar Cepeda said, “Costs will increase as residents have to pay more or they have to commute and drive further to pick up their groceries or socks to pick up their prescriptions.”
“It’s really going to hurt our community,” he added.
Two Target stores in the East Bay region — one in Richmond and one in Pleasant Hill — are already imposing a lockdown on underwear. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images/Getty Images)
Retail crime continues to rise in the U.S. and was the focus of a congressional hearing last month.
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The Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence of the Homeland Security Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives held a hearing on December 12 entitled “From Celebration to Retail Fear: Combating Organized Retail Crime.”
Subcommittee Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas, blamed “soft-on-crime policies” for the problematic trend in a statement announcing the hearing.
“By putting criminals ahead of communities, families and small business owners, hardworking Americans across the country will be forced to bear the financial and emotional costs of these failed policies,” Pfluger said.
Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, last month blamed “soft crime” policies for the problematic retail theft trend. (Getty Images/Getty Images)
“With an unprecedented rise in retail crime, reports also suggest that many professional shoplifters or shoplifters are part of a much larger organization of criminals – including transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) that are exploiting our open borders,” he added.
Major retail chains like CVS and others have been forced to lock merchandise behind plastic barriers to prevent them from being stolen from shelves.
A recent National Retail Federation survey found that 70% of retailers believe organized retail theft has become a more common problem in recent years.
Several Target stores have placed locked boxes for everyday items due to thefts. (Deb Cohn-Orbach/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Earlier this week, California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom outlined a plan to combat retail and property crime across the state.
“Building on California’s existing laws and record investments in public safety, I am calling for new legislation to expand criminal penalties for those who profit from retail thefts and car break-ins,” Newsom said in a news release Tuesday. “These laws will make California safer and strengthen police and prosecutors’ tools to arrest and hold career criminals accountable.”
Newsom's proposed regulatory framework will expand enforcement tools, aggregate theft amounts, eliminate expiration periods for organized retail crime, and increase penalties for large-scale resellers of stolen goods, according to the press release.
Earlier this week, California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom outlined a plan to combat retail and property crime across the state. ((Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) / Getty Images)
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San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins praised Newsom's proposal, insisting it will “make our communities and businesses safer.”
“This much-needed reform package will empower law enforcement and prosecutors to hold prolific thieves accountable and ensure there are consequences for those who brazenly flaunt our laws,” Jenkins said.
Fox News' Elizabeth Elkind and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.