Retailers say thefts are at crisis level. The numbers say otherwise | Hacker News Reader

Retailers say thefts are at crisis level. The numbers say otherwise

latimes.com

5 pointsjakelazaroff9 comments

Look on social media for the ever-increasing, massive numbers of videos of young people going through stores with garbage bags, collecting things off the shelf, without an ounce of fear at the potential of getting caught or any shame at robbing others.

There is a special level in hell reserved for the media gaslighters who are trying to convince you that the things you are noticing aren't real.

and those two cases convinced you its endemic. at least read the article about yourself...

Do you truly think algorithmic virality is a reliable indicator of what’s real?

Of course not.

But that syncs up with what I've observed in my own life (saw multiple brazen robberies for the first time ever over the last few years) and makes sense logically given the recent predictable economic + societal mental-health destruction we've seen.

Additionally, it fits into the most reliable indicator of what's real, namely if the corporate media is trying to convince you of something, you'd have a good chance of being right by considering the opposite to their opinion.

The point is that the data show that the few incidents you’ve witnessed firsthand are not indicative of a larger trend.

I don’t really see how your framing here is coherent. Social media is corporate media.

You can choose to believe whatever you want or redefine any terms that you want.

I'd just say that I think it's wise to reevaluate how important anecdotal evidence and gut instincts are when you know you live in a house of liars.

I think the authorities are trying to push all commerce on to the internet.

One of the reasons for this is, is reprovisioned retail units become homes of sorts, which is useful when there is a global housing shortage.

Add in trends like work from home and how covid forced many people to work from home, and you can see the trend for people spreading out beyond their borders to 3rd world country's and cheaper regions in the world to live as long as there internet access and servicing from couriers.

Something that taxation could never achieve.

So whilst these young people robbing shops, can still do this, the number of retail units shutting down still increases. Look at some of these fast food outlets operating out of industrial units and using the internet apps like Uber Eats and Just Eat to get their take away delivered. No need to have a shop front any more!

Nearly all low end shops will be going like this, its just a question of time.

The only high street stores which will remain will be high end one's that can allow people in, if they like the look of them like you see at night clubs.

So these retailers are the one's slow to change their operating model. 100 years ago, shops used to be counter service, not self service like it is now, but there were less products to choose from back then, unlike a supermarket which can have anything from 20,000 to 100,000 different products on the shelf. Prices will have to go for counter services, or increased shop floor levels, if the business doesnt transition to the online sales outlet model.

This is why inflation is running high. Online selling has not been adopted by everyone yet.

That's an interesting perspective, but personally I don't find the explanation here rather persuasive, especially when it comes to inflation.

Didn't read the article. Has an opinion anyway.

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