Target closing nine stores in four states, citing 'organized retail crime'

Target announced Tuesday it will be closing nine stores across four states in October because of theft and crime.

The company said they tried taking “meaningful steps” to improve guest experience and business performance but made the “difficult decision” because certain locations saw theft and organized retail crime threatening the safety of employees and consumers. 

“Before making this decision, we invested heavily in strategies to prevent and stop theft and organized retail crime in our stores, such as adding more security team members, using third-party guard services, and implementing theft-deterrent tools across our business,” the company said in a statement. “Despite our efforts, unfortunately, we continue to face fundamental challenges to operating these stores safely and successfully.” 

There are nine stores set to close on Oct. 21. The New York City Harlem location is the only New York location set to close. There are two planned closures in Seattle — the Seattle University Way location and the Seattle Ballard location. In California, the Pittsburg location, San Francisco Folsom location and the Oakland Broadway location are all set to close. There are three locations in Portland closing — the Portland Galleria, Portland Powell and Portland Hollywood. 

All eligible team members will be offered the opportunity to transfer to one of the more than 150 other Target locations, the company said in its statement. 

Target said while they will continue to make investments to combat this issue, they cannot solve it on their own. They have created a community outreach program, worked with members of Congress to pass organized retail crime legislation and worked across the retail industry to address the issue, the company noted.

In a survey released Tuesday, the National Retail Federation found that retailers have seen an increase in theft-associated losses jump from $93.9 billion to $112.1 billion over the past year. 

“Retailers are seeing unprecedented levels of theft coupled with rampant crime in their stores, and the situation is only becoming more dire,” David Johnston, NRF Vice President for Asset Protection and Retail Operations, said in a statement. “Far beyond the financial impact of these crimes, the violence and concerns over safety continue to be the priority for all retailers, regardless of size or category.”