In fact, a recent Retail Workplace Survey by Loss Prevention Magazine found that 60 percent of retail workers saw some form of ruthlessness on the job over the past 12 months.
The said business challenges in more populous or urban areas are also the reason why two Atlanta-based Walmart locations (Howell Mill Road and Vine City) closed. However, recently Walmart announced plans to reopen one of the branches but this time, with major upgrades and distinctive features. While the Howell Mill Road branch is to remain permanently closed, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said the former Vine City Supercenter will reopen with a pharmacy, grocery store, and police station.

Theft has gotten so bad in the area that the retail giant resorted to this measure. The said store is set to open in May of 2024, following a nearly year-long closure after the shoplifters reportedly set the building on fire to distract from their thieving. When it reopens, the store will be a Neighborhood Market, which is typically one-fifth the size of a Supercenter." After talking with the Merchants Association on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Clark University and other people in the neighborhood, folks were saying they want to see more police presence, Dickens said.

Having a police substation in a Walmart branch is a first, but officials believe an increased police presence will help to prevent in-store crime to make shoppers feel safer. The substation will also feature a place for police to charge their phones and body cameras, as well as have meetings and file documents. Dickens added that he hopes the police station will help Walmart leadership feel confident that inventory shrinkage won't be as pervasive of an issue and hopefully prevent them from leaving, as was the case in Chicago.