Thread by @MorePerfectUS

You’ve probably seen headlines like this.

But it turns out corporate execs might just be making up the retail theft crisis.

Thread.

A new report finds that retailers seem to be exaggerating reports of theft. /2

cnn.com/2023/10/27/bus…

Corporations are trying to pass the blame for lower profit margins to everyone but themselves. Fabricating a crime wave distracts from other issues, like inventory mismanagement or steep discounts. /3

Target recently closed 9 stores, allegedly because of theft and “organized retail crime”.

But an analysis from Popular Information found that the stores closing in NY and San Francisco had lower reported theft rates than other locations in the area. /4

popular.info/p/target-says-…

Retailers can also use exaggerated theft reports as a way to influence public policy and get harsher punishments for shoplifters. /5

cnn.com/2023/10/27/bus…

While retailers whip up a moral panic over “organized retail crime”, they ignore the fact that they’re responsible for the most expensive crime in the United States: wage theft.

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. inthesetimes.com/article/wage-t…