The stories are everywhere: Walmart store closures in Portland and Chicago; an epidemic of drug store thefts in New York. In Baltimore, a “landmark” grocery store shuts its doors after nearly 25 years in a community desperate for fresh food.
While in San Francisco, reports of big-box chains abandoning its downtown have become near-daily occurrences.
The cause: rampant, often organized, and seemingly consequenceless shoplifting.
