Walmart to close remaining Portland stores as city faces shoplifting crisis

Publish date: 2024-07-17

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Walmart will close its last two stores in crime-plagued Portland, Ore., as the city contends with a relentless wave of shoplifting that has hammered retailers.

The closures, set for March 24, come months after CEO Doug McMillon warned the discount retailer was seeing a spike in “shrink” — a term the retail industry uses to address losses related to in-store theft or fraud.

“Theft is an issue. It’s higher than what it has historically been,” McMillon said during an appearance on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” in December. “I think local law enforcement being staffed and being a good partner is part of that equation. … If that’s not corrected over time, prices will be higher, and/or stores will close.”

The company did not say whether retail theft was a factor in shuttering the Walmart locations in the North and Southeastern sections of the Rose City.

Shoplifting has plagued stores in Portland, Ore., where Walmart announced it will shutter two stores on March 24. Tiktok/extramildsauce_

However, Portland police carried out a retail theft “blitz” earlier this month to crack down on shoplifting throughout the city, KPTV reported.

“We’re having big retailers leave,” said Jordan Zaitz, a member of the Portland Police’s Neighborhood Response Team. “I mean, to have Walmart close two of its stores is a really big deal. The people in those neighborhoods, that’s where they shop.”

Walmart will close its stores in the North and Southeastern sections of the Rose City. Portland Press Herald via Getty Images

Walmart said the decision to close the Portland stores followed a “careful review of their overall performance,” a Walmart spokesperson told local news outlet KPTV last month.

“We consider many factors, including current and projected financial performance, location, population, customer needs, and the proximity of other nearby stores when making these difficult decisions,” the spokesperson added. “After we decide to move forward, our focus is on our associates and their transition, which is the case here.”

Walmart CEO Doug McMillion said in December that retailers were contending with a major spike in theft. REUTERS

Nearly 600 employees who worked at the two stores face potential layoffs or transfers.

The Post reached out to Walmart for comment.

The closure announcement followed a “careful review of their overall performance.”
Nearly 600 employees who worked at the two stores face potential layoffs or transfers. Marcy Landolfo

As of last year, Walmart had 4,720 stores in the US and 10,586 locations around the world.

Other major retailers with stores based in Portland have experienced issues with shoplifting.

Last month, Nike asked city officials for permission to post off-duty police officers at Portland-based stores with the authority to arrest shoplifters, The Oregonian reported.

A shoplifting theft at Consign Couture — inside the Washington Square mall in Portland. Consign Couture
A woman allegedly linked $40,000 in shoplifting was nabbed from Lululemon stores. Tigard Police Department
Portland has experienced an increase in shoplifting. in many stores. Tigard Police Department

One of Nike’s stores in Northeast Portland has reportedly been mostly closed for months due to a rise of theft incidents.  

Last October, local news outlet KGW reported that it witnessed shoplifting incidents at Nike, Home Depot and Target.

Jeremy Girard of the Oregon Retail Crime Association told the outlet that shoplifting has reached a “crisis level” in Portland. He estimated that the worst-affected stores were losing as much as $5 million per year to theft.

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