Target announced Tuesday that it is closing a number of its shops in blue cities, citing theft and violence concerns to its clientele and employees in those areas.
Target’s press release announced that nine of its stores in Portland, San Francisco/Oakland, Seattle, and New York City will be closing effective Oct. 21 due to organized theft and violence threatening employee and “guest safety.” Target stated that “all eligible team members will be offered the opportunity to transfer to other Target locations.” (RELATED: Here’s Why America’s Biggest Companies Are Fleeing Blue States)
Target also announced that they were continuing to make investments to enhance their stores’ security, the press release said. The announcement stands out due to the company explicitly citing a violence and theft problem in these cities as the reason for the closures, CNBC reported.
Target says it will close nine stores in major cities, citing violence and theft https://t.co/0JkGbsuAsN
— CNBC (@CNBC) September 26, 2023
“We do not want to close stores. We know how important our stores are. They create local jobs, they generate taxes, they’re very important for those local shoppers, and they play a critical role in communities across the country,” Target’s CEO Brian Cornell told the news outlet in May.
“At the same time, we’ll be closely monitoring the safety of our team and guests as well as the financial impact to our business.”
Business conditions have not been ideal for Target. This year alone their business stock was down by 20 percent due to declining sales and shifting consumer sentiment, Forbes reported.
Target also came under fire in May for its “PRIDE” collection, which resulted in the company’s market value plunging $9 billion in one week at the time. In June, Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom blamed the COVID-19 pandemic and telework for businesses leaving San Francisco.