🥷🏻 Shoplifting gets dangerous

Plus: 🐔 Chicken wing economics | Friday, February 11, 2022

Open in app View in browser     Axios What's Next By Jennifer A. Kingson, Joann Muller and Erica Pandey ·Feb 11, 2022 Sticky fingers are everywhere in today's issue, from store shelves to Super Bowl party platters. Got a reaction to something you read here today? Share it with us at whatsnext@axios.com. Today's Smart Brevity count: 981 words ... 4 minutes.     1 big thing: Shoplifting reaches crisis proportions Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios   Shoplifting has gotten so bad nationally that chains like Rite Aid are closing hard-hit stores, sending terrified employees home in Ubers, and locking up aisles of seemingly mundane items like deodorant and toothpaste, writes Jennifer A. Kingson. Why it matters: Retailers are already reeling from the pandemic, supply chain woes and the labor shortage. Now they're combating systematic looting by organized crime gangs — which are growing more aggressive and violent. "It's out of control — it is just out of control," Lisa LaBruno, SVP of operations and innovation at the Retail Industry Leaders Association, tells Axios. A lot of the uptick is tied to the ease of reselling stolen goods online, plus the fact that consumers are buying more everyday goods online during COVID. "We have experienced a 300% increase in retail theft from our stores since the pandemic began," CVS spokesman Michael DeAngelis tells Axios. At a Rite Aid that just closed its doors in midtown Manhattan, more than $200,000 in goods were stolen in December and January, per the New York Post. "They come in every day, sometimes twice a day, with laundry bags and just load up on stuff," the Post quoted a store employee saying. Driving the news: The retail industry is pressing Congress to pass the INFORM Act, which would require online marketplaces (like Amazon, eBay and Facebook) to verify sellers and provide contact information to buyers. Attorneys general in states like California, Arizona and New Mexico are setting up anti-shoplifting task forces and looking at stricter laws on bail reform and felony thresholds. District attorneys in cities like Chicago and New York are considering harsher measures against shoplifters. What stores are doing: In addition to locking high-theft items behind anti-theft panels, retailers are arming more merchandise with alarmed security tags. They're installing shelf sensors that can tell when a customer has been browsing for a suspiciously long time, and adding "smart" shopping carts with wheels that lock if someone sneaks it past the cash register. But too many locks can frustrate honest shoppers — potentially sending them into the arms of an Amazon.com instead of the corner store. LaBruno of the Retail Industry Leaders Association says merchants "are always doing a balancing act" to ward off theft while making inventory accessible. A survey released in December by the National Retail Federation found that designer clothing was the top item reported stolen, followed by laundry detergent, razors, designer handbags and deodorant. Al Sharpton addressed the issue on "Morning Joe" on Thursday, saying, "They're locking up my toothpaste." Read on     2. Biden to states: Build new charging stations Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios   The Biden administration is throwing open the doors for states to begin tapping $5 billion over five years from the bipartisan infrastructure law to expand electric vehicle charging on the nation's highways, Ben Geman writes in Axios Generate. Why it matters: Transportation is the nation's largest source of carbon emissions. Charging growth is key to helping EVs move from a small — albeit growing — share of sales into becoming rivals for gas-powered cars and eventually replacing them in the market. The White House has an aspirational target of 50% of all new cars sold in the U.S. being zero-emissions models by 2030. Driving the news: The administration is making an initial $615 million available to states in fiscal 2022. Yesterday the Transportation Department released formal guidance for how states can apply for the funds. DOT and the Energy Department also unveiled a website that helps provide technical assistance. Read the full story     3. Buffalo wing inflation Yum. Photo: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images   Each chicken only has two wings, which create four wing pieces (two drumettes and two wingettes, to be precise) suitable for being fried, doused in a mix of hot sauce and butter, then served to people watching the Super Bowl this weekend, Axios chief economics correspondent Neil Irwin writes. So when demand for wings surges but demand for the rest of the chicken is steady, it creates big price swings — and a fun study in microeconomics. By the numbers: Chicken wing prices are soaring, not just in absolute terms, but relative to other parts of the chicken. The national retail price of frozen wings was $2.98 a pound last week, according to the latest Agriculture Department report. That's down slightly from one week earlier but still higher than $2.82 per pound one year ago. Meanwhile, the USDA reported lower prices for whole chickens in recent weeks compared to last year. Relative demand for fatty, rich, messy parts of the chicken has surged versus the lean, healthy parts. Read the full story     A message from Axios Axios Local job board     Axios Local now has job boards in the fastest growing cities in America. Post your job opening to reach smart professionals that use Axios Local daily to make decisions about where to work, what to do and where to live.     4. Valentine's Day squeeze Valentine's Day chocolates. Photo: Zheng Huansong/Xinhua via Getty Images   Supply chain shocks affected Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas presents. Now they'll hit Valentine's Day gifts, Erica Pandey writes. What's happening: Florists around the country — from Eugene, Oregon, to Mishawaka, Indiana — are navigating a flower shortage. And candy makers are struggling too, the Wall Street Journal reports. Even shortages you might not think would touch Valentine's Day are causing problems. The glass shortage means there aren't enough vases, and the paper shortage means those pretty boxes that hold chocolates are in short supply. Our thought bubble: It's a good year to try some alternative Valentine's Day gift ideas. Think succulents instead of bouquets or a cheese plate instead of chocolate.     5. 1 gross thing: Working from 🚽 Some 60% of remote employees work from the toilet at least once a week, according to a survey by CraftJack, a home improvement marketing firm. 25% say they work from the toilet daily, answering emails and messages and attending virtual meetings. The big picture: Teleworking has allowed everyone to relax a bit while on the clock. But there's a big difference between ditching makeup and ditching showers, Erica writes. 46% of remote workers are showering less than they did when they were working in person. 41% are washing clothes less, and 26% are brushing their teeth less, CraftJack found. Methodology: On Jan. 7, CraftJack surveyed 1,255 Americans who worked in an office before the pandemic but now work from home.     A message from Axios Axios Local job board     Axios Local now has job boards in the fastest growing cities in America. 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