It has been happening for years:
Major retailers in the US have been forced to shut down stores due to millions of dollars in losses as rampant theft plagues big box stores across the country.
This week, Walmart announced it will shut down four of its stores in Chicago just weeks after America's biggest employer shuttered its only stores in Portland.
It comes as shoplifting reaches alarming levels and other large retailers, including Target, Macy's and Best Buy, are now making good on threats to shutter outlets if petty crime was not lowered.
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| City | Stores Affected | Year | Details |
|---|
| San Francisco, CA | Whole Foods (Haight-Ashbury), Target (multiple Bay Area), Nordstrom, Walgreens (multiple) | 2023–2025 | Whole Foods closed in 2023 due to rampant theft and an overdose death in the store; Target shuttered four locations in 2023 amid organized crime and violence; Nordstrom and Walgreens cited burglaries and safety risks, with 12 Walgreens closures by 2024. |
| Portland, OR | Target (three stores), Walmart | 2023 | Target closed three stores in 2023, blaming theft and violence that threatened staff safety; Walmart reduced operations due to spiraling crime, including murders at all-time highs in 2022. |
| Seattle, WA | Target (two stores), Nordstrom | 2023–2024 | Target closed two stores in 2023 over organized retail crime; Nordstrom shuttered its flagship in 2024 citing theft and aggression, following 2020 looting damage. |
| New York, NY | Target (East Harlem), Macy's | 2023 | Target closed its Harlem store in 2023 due to theft and violence; Macy's faced $10,000+ loots in 2022–2023, contributing to urban pullbacks amid rising shoplifting complaints. |
| Chicago, IL | Walmart (four stores), Target, Whole Foods (Englewood) | 2023 | Walmart closed four stores in 2023 after tens of millions in theft losses; Whole Foods shut in 2023 due to lack of demand tied to crime; Target and others cited 25% theft rise. |
| Philadelphia, PA | Target, Macy's, Wawa | 2022–2023 | Multiple lootings in 2022–2023, including Macy's security guard stabbing; Target closed stores in 2023 amid waves of smash-and-grabs; Wawa looted repeatedly. |
| Los Angeles, CA | Target, Walmart, Nordstrom | 2023–2025 | Target and Walmart closed amid 2023 theft surges; Nordstrom cited crime in 2024; 2025 protests escalated to looting, accelerating exits in high-crime areas. |
| Oakland, CA | Target, REI | 2023 | Target closed in 2023 after 76% burglary rise; REI shuttered due to theft and violence; nearby stores saw 440+ incidents despite closures. |
| Baltimore, MD | Target | 2023 | Closed in 2023 after 10 years, citing theft in poverty-stricken areas; part of broader urban exodus. |
| Atlanta, GA | Walmart, Target | 2023 | Walmart closed a store in 2023 due to theft; Target followed suit amid organized crime. |
These closures impacted urban "food deserts," exacerbating access issues, with over 150 Target stores affected nationwide by crime in 2023 alone. Retailers like Walmart warned of further shutdowns if prosecution remains lenient. By 2025, trends continued with Walgreens planning 500 closures, though not all tied directly to violence. No widespread new looting events were reported in late 2025, but organized theft persists.
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