Traumatised Best Buy staff may quit says CEO
Photo: Best Buy Co., Inc.
A spate of thefts at Best Buy stores is having a detrimental effect on the firm’s balance sheet, as well as causing employees to reconsider their positions amid a tight labor market.
The thefts are organized by nature, including people arriving at the stores to steal electronic goods armed with guns or other weapons.
A ‘horrible change’ in the business at @BestBuy because of widespread looting, smash and grab thefts… many of which are organized. Park Lane / @NorthParkCenter area are you likely targets this holiday season. @DPDChiefGarcia @CNBC pic.twitter.com/4RZyvKJsfA
— DallasMatters (@Dallas_Matters) November 23, 2021
Corie Barry, Best Buy CEO, said on CNBC that “these are traumatic experiences and they are happening more and more across the country”.
Best Buy are not the only ones. CVS Health and Walgreens Boots Alliance, among others, have all revealed an increase in the number of thefts, with the latter closing down stores as a result.
The company who cried retail theft? Walgreens store closures cause uproar in San Francisco https://t.co/aELH87Bib3
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) October 18, 2021
To combat the criminals, Best Buy is locking away its goods, hiring extra security at specific locations and working alongside retail trade groups.
In the past fortnight, two Nordstrom stores in the state were the place of separate “smash-and-grab” robberies.
The best time to exit San Francisco was years ago. The next best time is now. https://t.co/LXoYyFQ965
— Balaji Srinivasan (@balajis) July 3, 2021