[News Terms] 'Smash and Grab' Causing Trouble in the US

'Smash-and-grab' refers to a theft act where perpetrators break windows or display cases of a store and quickly steal items.

It has been reported that these crimes even occur during business hours, causing damage, and are sometimes organized to secure goods to sell on online marketplaces like Amazon, causing serious concern in American society.

According to KTLA5, a local broadcaster in Los Angeles, on the 28th of last month (local time), five restaurants in West LA were robbed of cash and other items by two men who broke windows and doors to break in. Earlier, on the 23rd, ten restaurants in the Glendale shopping district were similarly targeted in one night.

Exterior view of a Walmart store in the United States suffering from 'smash-and-grab' theft crimes.
Photo by Asia Economy DB

In December last year, a man in his 50s who stole ribeye steaks and other items from a Walmart in Duluth, Atlanta, threatened an employee who tried to stop him with a knife and fled but was caught by the police. Besides this, almost all stores including Starbucks and Walmart in New York and Washington D.C., department stores in Chicago, and markets in San Francisco have become targets of smash-and-grab thefts.

As smash-and-grab crimes have surged, major American retail brands such as Walmart, Target, and Nordstrom are closing urban stores citing losses from various crimes and public safety concerns. Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said, "Theft is a major operational problem," and Target CFO Michael Fiddelke stated, "Theft is increasing by 50% annually," adding, "If the theft problem is not resolved over time, we will not hesitate to raise prices or close stores."

Walmart plans to close 20 stores this year alone, including four large stores in Chicago, Illinois, closed last month, and a downtown Washington D.C. store closed in March. The famous department store Nordstrom is closing 15 stores in San Francisco and Chicago, and the large pharmacy chain CVS plans to eliminate about 900 stores by the end of next year.

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, posted on Twitter on the 4th, "So many stores in downtown San Francisco are closing. It’s reminiscent of the end of the world," raising awareness in American society.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.