'Curious' CNN Consumer Reporter Asks What Happened to the Shoplifting Crisis, Gets ALL THE ANSWERS

If you live anywhere near a major city and shop -- which means you're like a majority of people -- you've probably noticed that stores are taking extra measures to curb shoplifting. From locking up items behind the counter to putting special locked cases on the shelf that require an employee key, stores weren't going to just sit idly by and let shoplifters rob them blind.

That, or the stores are just closing. Like the Walgreens locations in Boston.

In California, retailers have lost $7.2 billion to shoplifters. The issue is so bad, California Democrats passed legislation increasing the penalties on retail theft (as a way of staving off Prop 36, which has even tougher penalties). In New York, theft has cost retailers $4.4 billion, and Gov. Kathy Hochul declared 'war' on shoplifting.

In short, it's bad. Or was.

Because stores implemented a lot of the things we mentioned above: locking up items, closing down stores. Things that make retail theft difficult, if not impossible.

And you'd think the 'Curious consumer reporter' for CNN would not only know this.

You'd think wrong:

What happened to the great shoplifting crisis?https://t.co/lX7btykaEm
— Nathaniel Meyersohn (@nmeyersohn) September 13, 2024

He writes:

A year ago, America’s stores declared a shoplifting epidemic. They closed stores in major cities, hired extra security, locked up key merchandise and declared big losses in their financial statements.
This year, retailers are telling a very different story — or no story at all. It’s as if the shoplifting crisis suddenly vanished.
Take Target, for example.
Last year, Target said a scourge of petty theft and organized groups stealing merchandise dented its profit by more than $500 million. Target also closed nine stores, saying “theft and organized retail crime” threatened worker and customer safety and made business unsustainable.
But now, Target is sounding a different message as it gets a better grip on lost merchandise, known as shrink. (Shrink and theft are often used interchangeably, although shrink also accounts for inventory losses from employee theft, damaged and spoiled products, administrative errors, vendor fraud and other factors.)

I've got a great idea for a story, @nmeyersohn ...
Contact the retailers that used to be in San Francisco's Union Square and ask them why they have packed up and moved away.

Hint: It wasn't because there wasn't a demand for their stores. https://t.co/BK2A55YDtp
— LincolnHillsFrau (@bayareahausfrau) September 13, 2024

The last Denny's in San Francisco closed recently thanks to dining and dashing -- which is also theft.

https://t.co/PDhC6pgYSd pic.twitter.com/JXsk0yfoSR
— Rufus T Firefly (sworn enemy of Rakell) (@hoggomcswineass) September 13, 2024

Nathaniel Meyersohn's next story: 'how retail theft helped create jobs.'

The stores with the worst shop-lifting problems closed. https://t.co/qfEWpUAycC
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) September 13, 2024

And people lost jobs and residents of the community lost access to needed goods and services.

They closed stores in Democratic strongholds that don't prosecute crime, got rid of self-checkout in lots of areas, and locked a lot of merchandise behind glass. All of this is admitted in the piece and this apparently is a win for CNN. https://t.co/qYNBw3Yh0c
— Karol Markowicz (@karol) September 13, 2024

CNN sucks.

As your quality of life is taken from you, journalists have one job left.

To lie to you about it. https://t.co/dILYrxgBkz
— EducatëdHillbilly™ (@RobProvince) September 13, 2024

Bingo. Meyersohn even admits the measures have 'frustrated shoppers', which is a way of saying we get victimized by criminals again. And Meyersohn thinks that's a win.

You. Don't. Despise. The. Media. Enough.