Target said Tuesday that it will close nine stores in major cities across the country, citing violence, theft and organized retail crime.
The company will close one store in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood, two locations in Seattle, three stores in the San Francisco-Oakland area and three more in Portland, Oregon. The discounter said it will shutter the stores for good on Oct. 21.
“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,” Target said in a news release.
“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, which has nearly 2,000 stores in the U.S., has been outspoken about organized retail crime at its stores. It has said theft has driven higher levels of shrink, an industry term used to describe losses from goods that were damaged, misplaced or stolen.
Target said Tuesday that it has taken a variety of steps to stop crime at its stores. Those measures include adding locked cases for some merchandise, hiring third-party guard services, training store leaders about how to de-escalate potentially dangerous situations and investing in cyber defense to stop fraud or organized crime.
Yet, Target said at the affected stores, a larger security team and theft-deterrent tools weren’t enough.
“Despite our efforts, unfortunately, we continue to face fundamental challenges to operating these stores safely and successfully,” Target said in the release.
The company will close one store in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood, two locations in Seattle, three stores in the San Francisco-Oakland area and three more in Portland, Oregon. The discounter said it will shutter the stores for good on Oct. 21.
“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,” Target said in a news release.
“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, which has nearly 2,000 stores in the U.S., has been outspoken about organized retail crime at its stores. It has said theft has driven higher levels of shrink, an industry term used to describe losses from goods that were damaged, misplaced or stolen.
Target said Tuesday that it has taken a variety of steps to stop crime at its stores. Those measures include adding locked cases for some merchandise, hiring third-party guard services, training store leaders about how to de-escalate potentially dangerous situations and investing in cyber defense to stop fraud or organized crime.
Yet, Target said at the affected stores, a larger security team and theft-deterrent tools weren’t enough.
“Despite our efforts, unfortunately, we continue to face fundamental challenges to operating these stores safely and successfully,” Target said in the release.
