In an effort to combat escalating theft and the growing issue of “organized retail crime,” Target has announced the closure of nine retail outlets across four states. Despite implementing various security measures such as increased security team members, third-party guard services, and theft-deterrent tools, the challenges with crime have persisted.
The affected markets and their remaining stores, along with employment data, are as follows:
New York City:
- Harlem: 517 E 117th St. (96 remaining stores, over 20,000 team members)
Seattle:
- University Way: 4535 University Way NE
- Ballard: 1448 NW Market St., Ste. 100 (22 remaining stores, nearly 4,000 team members)
San Francisco/Oakland:
- SF Folsom: 1690 Folsom St.
- Oakland Broadway: 2650 Broadway
- Pittsburg: 4301 Century Blvd. (32 remaining stores, over 6,400 team members)
Portland:
- Galleria: 939 SW Morrison St.
- Powell: 3031 SE Powell Blvd.
- Hollywood: 4030 NE Halsey St. (15 remaining stores, more than 2,500 team members)
While these closures are unfortunate, it’s important to note that over 150 stores still remain operational in these regions. Target is actively working to enhance its security measures by employing tactics such as locking cases for certain merchandise and collaborating with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations division.
In a statement, Target acknowledged that while they will continue to invest in their business’s security, they understand that solving this issue requires a collective effort. They emphasized the need for collaboration between retailers, law enforcement, and civic organizations to effectively tackle the problem of theft and organized retail crime.
