Target is closing nine stores in major cities across four states, claiming theft and organized retail crime have made the environment unsafe for staff and customers – and unsustainable for business.
The big box chain is part of a wave of retailers – both large and small – that say they’re struggling to contain store crimes that have hurt their bottom lines. Many have closed stores or made changes to merchandise and layouts.
This should surprise absolutely no one.
The stores Target plans to close will shut their doors on October 21. The stores include the East Harlem location in New York City, two locations in Seattle, three locations in Portland, and three locations in San Francisco and Oakland.
I have been to one of the Portland stores in the last two years and it was the most uncomfortable shopping experience of my life. Even getting out of the car in the parking lot, the area didn’t feel safe. Lots of homeless about, seedy-looking folks, and drug users. Target had armed guards as you went in the front door. It was almost surreal.
The stores Target plans to close will shut their doors on October 21. The stores include the East Harlem location in New York City, two locations in Seattle, three locations in Portland, and three locations in San Francisco and Oakland.
…The rally was held outside Le Cheval, a Vietnamese restaurant that has been a local mainstay for nearly forty years that recently announced it would close at the end of the month.
“This restaurant survived the crack epidemic. This restaurant survived Occupy Oakland and the riots. This restaurant survived the pandemic. But this restaurant can’t survive crime. We’ve got to put and end to this now,” said Greg McConnell, who owns a local consulting firm.
My strong wish is that, at point in the near future, progressives will realize that leniency toward lawbreakers is an offense against the law-abiding.
UPDATE: According to the OregonLive story, the three Portland-area Target stores closing are downtown, Northeast Portland, and Southeast Portland. The Target store I visited in Portland is not among these. If it’s staying open, I can only imagine the horror that must have transpired at these other places.
Target is the latest major retailer to close Portland stores this year, citing theft and safety issues. Nike said earlier this month it would permanently close its community store in Northeast Portland following a monthlong closure due to shoplifting. In April, REI announced that it would close its Pearl District store early 2024, citing an increase in crime and theft as the main reasons. Walmart also closed its only two Portland stores earlier this year for underperformance.
I remember when downtown Portland was hip and relatively safe. The ‘90s were a great time in hindsight, perhaps made all the better by the dystopia Portland has become. It’s hard to come up with another upside.