Credit to Max Ramirez

Big retail stores and supermarkets such as Walmart, Kohl’s, Schnucks and many others have consistently been victims of shoplifting. This has escalated in recent years as a result of many different things from a worse economy to lack of workers present. Target has been a victim of this increased shoplifting. Target reported a $400 million dollar loss in profits, and while not all of that profit loss can be attributed to solely shoplifting, it did contribute to the large loss in profits.

Target has shut down nine stores in major cities, with the reasoning that there has been too much crime for the stores to remain sustainable. At the Mid-Rivers Target, Kystal Arias, who is a front-end advocate and has been working at Target for nearly two years, has dealt with shoplifting instances in the store.

“A lot of the times we just have to let security know, we can’t stop them ourselves because it might be dangerous. We call them on the radio and they’re usually on top of it,” Arias said. “At my Target it’s pretty okay, though we get a lot of scam calls during the holidays.”

By having everything available in one store from food and technology to decor and toys, Target has managed to become the eighth largest retailer in the United States and is a staple stop for many students at FHN who go shopping. Elizabeth Rodriguez-Morales is a freshman at FHN and is one of those students.

“My family’s always shopped at Target,” Rodriguez-Morales said. “It’s just better quality than other stuff.”

No statements have been made regarding the potential closing of the Mid-Rivers and Mexico Road Target locations, but in the event that the Target locations would close, it would leave students dissatisfied.

“I wouldn’t know where to shop for stuff,” Rodriguez-Morales said.