Target will shut its San Francisco stores at 6 p.m. to curb an 'alarming rise' in shoplifting
- Target is cutting store opening hours in its San Francisco locations.
- The big-box chain said this was temporary, and was to address the rise in shoplifting in the city.
- Target stores would now open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time in San Francisco, it said.
Target said it was cutting store opening hours in San Francisco to try to curb a rise in shoplifting.
In a statement shared with multiple news organizations, the big-box chain said there had been an "alarming rise" in thefts at its San Francisco stores over the past month, and that it was working with local law enforcement.
Its stores would now open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time in San Francisco, it said. While Target store hours vary, other locations across the US open between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., and close at 10 pm.
"With the safety of our guests, team members, and communities as our top priority, we've temporarily reduced our operating hours in six San Francisco stores," the spokesperson said.
Insider asked Target whether shoplifting was most common in the evening, but did not immediately receive a reply.
According to the California Retailers Association (CRA), San Francisco is among the 10 cities in the US worst hit by retail crime.
In June, the CRA shared a video of a shoplifter stealing products from a Walgreens store in San Francisco while a store security guard watched on.
In a statement at the time, the president of the CRA, Rachel Michelin, said: "This has been a problem going on for years ... We are trying to attack it from all different ways.
"Our priority is the safety of our employees and consumers. We can't have our security guards going after this - they are not law enforcement," she said.