At least this article calls out that the stores kept open also are busier, so the higher potential for theft has less impact on profitability.
Nobody closes a profitable location solely over theft. The only closures that shoplifting is driving are ones at stores that were already underperforming. If increasing theft drives a store into the red, that’s a sensible closure, but profitability is the real driver, not theft.
At least this article calls out that the stores kept open also are busier, so the higher potential for theft has less impact on profitability.
Nobody closes a profitable location solely over theft. The only closures that shoplifting is driving are ones at stores that were already underperforming. If increasing theft drives a store into the red, that’s a sensible closure, but profitability is the real driver, not theft.