Future of Cities 3.0

[Herman Cain]

Target Closing Stores in Selected Cities.
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/26/target-says-it-will-close-nine-stores-citing-violence-and-theft-.html

[Skatastrophy]

Target Closing Stores in Selected Cities.
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/26/target-says-it-will-close-nine-stores-citing-violence-and-theft-.html

Their revenue has fallen the past couple of quarters. The last time they had 2 consecutive quarters of revenue decline was 2016 and before that never, something is up.

[Lennys Tap]

Target Closing Stores in Selected Cities.
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/26/target-says-it-will-close-nine-stores-citing-violence-and-theft-.html

Target isn't closing anything. Fake news by Fox News. Our cities have never been safer!!

[Uncle Rico]

Can't live anywhere

https://www.google.com/amp/story/s/www.wsj.com/story/murder-rates-soar-in-rural-america-bb431022

[Uncle Rico]

Uh, oh

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/people-in-rural-areas-die-at-higher-rates-than-those-in-urban-areas/?amp=true

[jesmu84]

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/08/10/retailers-may-be-using-organized-theft-to-cover-up-internal-flaws.html

[jesmu84]

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/08/09/claims-about-organized-retail-theft-are-nearly-impossible-to-verify.html

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Lowe's has an answer for Target and Walmart's theft problems
https://www.thestreet.com/retailers/lowes-has-an-answer-for-target-and-walmarts-theft-problems

"It's one of the areas of the business that we're most pleased with. As a major big-box retailer, you're right, we're one of the few who've not flagged shrink as something that is having a material impact on gross margin or operating profit," Ellison said.

"Having spent my entire adult life in retail, at every level, the one thing that I understand clearly is that the greatest deterrent for any theft activity is effective customer service and making sure that you have the right type of merchandising display," he said.

Simply paying workers well -- Lowe's is a the higher end of the wage scale for retailers in many markets -- and training them leads to lower levels of shrink, according to Ellison. Fewer people trying to steal also enable the company's security team to operate more efficiently.

[Uncle Rico]

Lowe's has an answer for Target and Walmart's theft problems
https://www.thestreet.com/retailers/lowes-has-an-answer-for-target-and-walmarts-theft-problems

"It's one of the areas of the business that we're most pleased with. As a major big-box retailer, you're right, we're one of the few who've not flagged shrink as something that is having a material impact on gross margin or operating profit," Ellison said.

"Having spent my entire adult life in retail, at every level, the one thing that I understand clearly is that the greatest deterrent for any theft activity is effective customer service and making sure that you have the right type of merchandising display," he said.

Simply paying workers well -- Lowe's is a the higher end of the wage scale for retailers in many markets -- and training them leads to lower levels of shrink, according to Ellison. Fewer people trying to steal also enable the company's security team to operate more efficiently.

The last thing scoopers want, is anyone getting paid for work

[lawdog77]

Lowe's has an answer for Target and Walmart's theft problems
https://www.thestreet.com/retailers/lowes-has-an-answer-for-target-and-walmarts-theft-problems

"It's one of the areas of the business that we're most pleased with. As a major big-box retailer, you're right, we're one of the few who've not flagged shrink as something that is having a material impact on gross margin or operating profit," Ellison said.

"Having spent my entire adult life in retail, at every level, the one thing that I understand clearly is that the greatest deterrent for any theft activity is effective customer service and making sure that you have the right type of merchandising display," he said.

Simply paying workers well -- Lowe's is a the higher end of the wage scale for retailers in many markets -- and training them leads to lower levels of shrink, according to Ellison. Fewer people trying to steal also enable the company's security team to operate more efficiently.

From what I have seen, Target and Lowe's pay scale is similar. It's much harder to steal a lawnmower than it is jewelry or clothing, I would guess.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

From what I have seen, Target and Lowe's pay scale is similar. It's much harder to steal a lawnmower than it is jewelry or clothing, I would guess.

Maybe, but:
Retail theft: Walmart, Home Depot, Target detail 'unacceptable amount' of crime
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/retail-theft-walmart-home-depot-target-detail-unacceptable-amount-of-crime-172928039.html

Inventory shrinkage — the loss of items to retail theft, organized crime, damage, vendor fraud, and other factors — is still a major headache for US retailers. At least, that was a common thread heard on recent earnings calls from Home Depot (HD), Target (TGT), Walmart (WMT), and other large retailers last week.

[Pakuni]

From what I have seen, Target and Lowe's pay scale is similar. It's much harder to steal a lawnmower than it is jewelry or clothing, I would guess.

It is with that attitude.

[lawdog77]

It is with that attitude.

I'll try harder

[MU82]

San Francisco - recovery is going better and the city is a lot more vibrant than the "fear and control" crowd at Fox News would have people believe ...

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/25/us/san-francisco-reputation.html

"The Tenderloin is a disaster. The Financial District has issues. But let's have perspective here," said Jason Mandell, a public relations executive who has lived in San Francisco for 26 years and was hired by the conference organizers to counter the persistently negative narrative. (Fox News, which broadcasts reports on the city's troubles almost daily, recently highlighted efforts to improve the city's image with the headline, "San Francisco hellhole hopes for PR makeover.")

Like any city, San Francisco is a complicated place with many story lines. It has a property-crime epidemic, but low rates of violent crime. It has a homelessness crisis and is pleading with a federal court for more leeway to clear tent encampments, but according to the most recent homeless count, there was a 15 percent drop in the homeless population living on its sidewalks between 2019 and 2022. Its downtown recovery has been glacial, but its unemployment rate is low at 3.6 percent.

The city has a record-high 31 percent office vacancy rate, and some prominent retail departures have drawn attention. But optimists say they hope these trends will open up space in the city for artists, nonprofit groups and possibly colleges. ...

But there are hopeful signs. Several new parks have opened in the city in recent years, including Tunnel Tops, where families flock on sunny weekends to picnic, stroll and take in views of the bay. The city has closed a couple of scenic thoroughfares to cars, most notably John F. Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park, where people can now bike, roller skate or play a weathered grand piano.

While downtown struggles, previously sleepy neighborhoods are thriving. Thousands of people packed Irving Street in the Sunset District this month for the inaugural Sunset Night Market, eating Asian delicacies and watching ballerinas dance in the road.

This fall, the chef Tyler Florence will turn two cafes in Union Square into Miller & Lux Provisions locations, one of them offering baked goods including "the most ethereal croissants you've ever tasted" and one offering rotisserie chicken and rosé on tap.

"The pandemic, and work-from-home culture, and fentanyl on top of that — it was this epic storm that ripped through San Francisco," Mr. Florence said. "Every piece of bad news we've gotten, every negative headline, we sort of deserved. But I think we're healing, and healing quickly."

[pbiflyer]

Fox News tried to do a bunch of scary man-on-the-street interviews about crime. It didn't go well.

https://x.com/abughazalehkat/status/1706777915516715084?s=61&t=jsIZllSIAp6Fe-FmvZNVnw

[tower912]

Like the interview with the former Ukrainian president?

[Lennys Tap]

From what I have seen, Target and Lowe's pay scale is similar. It's much harder to steal a lawnmower than it is jewelry or clothing, I would guess.

Stop it. Logic isn't welcome here!

[jesmu84]

From what I have seen, Target and Lowe's pay scale is similar. It's much harder to steal a lawnmower than it is jewelry or clothing, I would guess.

Nothing small at Lowe's similar to jewelry or clothing? Nothing big at target similar to a lawnmower?

[The Sultan]

Nothing small at Lowe's similar to jewelry or clothing? Nothing big at target similar to a lawnmower?

Yeah, and if you read the article that TSmith posted, it's not just about wage but hiring more employees who engage in more customer service activity. I don't shop at Lowes, but there is a noticeable difference between the low number of people I see on the floor of a Home Depot compared to the higher number at a Menards for instance.  And don't get me started on Target where it seems like employees on the floor are almost entirely filling mobile pick up orders.

[jficke13]

lol, we're doing this again?

[The Sultan]

lol, we're doing this again?

The olds forget they've done it before.

[pbiflyer]

Cities are doomed.

New 'supercontinent' could wipe out humans and make Earth uninhabitable, study suggests


The formation of a new "supercontinent" could wipe out humans and all other mammals still alive in 250 million years, researchers have predicted.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/26/world/supercontinent-earth-intl-scli-climate-scn/index.html

[MU82]

Cities are doomed.

New 'supercontinent' could wipe out humans and make Earth uninhabitable, study suggests


The formation of a new "supercontinent" could wipe out humans and all other mammals still alive in 250 million years, researchers have predicted.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/26/world/supercontinent-earth-intl-scli-climate-scn/index.html

250 million years?

Phew! At first I thought you said only 250 thousand years!!!

[Galway Eagle]

Has anyone studied Strongtowns or similar urban planning movements? They're fascinating and are being referenced in a lot of city planning now (including MKE's 794 removal) if you can get past an immediate "no I want my car and I want my suburb!" The movement's actually fascinating. For those of you on the right Strongtowns in particular is a pro urbanization cause but it is inherently conservative in its process and might interest you.

[jesmu84]

Has anyone studied Strongtowns or similar urban planning movements? They're fascinating and are being referenced in a lot of city planning now (including MKE's 794 removal) if you can get past an immediate "no I want my car and I want my suburb!" The movement's actually fascinating. For those of you on the right Strongtowns in particular is a pro urbanization cause but it is inherently conservative in its process and might interest you.

Are those like 15 minute cities?