International Sharp Review | "Zero Dollar Purchase" and "Flash Robbery"... Where Does the Strange Phenomenon in the United States Come from?
"Behind the 'flash robbery' is actually organized crime." In recent days, on social media in the United States, netizens have reposted posts expressing anger. The typical scenario of this phenomenon is: a group of people organize themselves through social media, rush into the store to "sweep" the goods, and then quickly flee with the stolen items, leaving a mess. This blatant act of taking for free has been mocked by Americans as a "zero dollar purchase". This word was originally a gimmick for business marketing, but unexpectedly it has become a pain for American retailers.
The glass cabinet of Macy's Department Store in Northridge Shopping Center in Los Angeles was smashed, and 20000 dollars of perfume was lost; Nordstrom, a high-end department store in Los Angeles, was robbed by dozens of people; A store in Yves Saint Roland, Glendale, California was robbed and lost approximately $300000 in merchandise... Recently, there have been countless similar cases in the United States. In fact, such incidents have been common in recent years.
The report released by the American Retail Federation shows that organized crime against the retail industry in the United States increased by 26.5% in 2022 compared to 2021. In 2021, the losses related to the US retail industry reached $94.5 billion, higher than the $90.8 billion in 2020. Faced with this disaster, retailers had to lock their products. Major US department stores, chain pharmacies, and home building materials suppliers have expressed concerns in their financial reports. Walgreen, a spokesperson for the American chain pharmacy, stated that the security costs for all branches in San Francisco are 46 times higher than the national average for chain stores. And Los Angeles, once known as the "shopping paradise," has suddenly become deserted, with many retail stores already closed.
Faced with such rampant robbery, should the US police increase their enforcement efforts? However, the reality is that the US police force is facing a shortage of workers. According to multiple media reports, under the pressure of high crime rates, high-intensity work, and police civilian conflicts, the police profession in the United States is becoming increasingly unpopular. According to a survey released by the US Police Administration Research Forum, the number of resignations in the US police department increased by 47% in 2022 compared to 2019. It is not difficult to imagine that there are more cases but fewer police officers, and the law enforcement is inadequate.
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In addition, insufficient punishment for crimes has also contributed to theft and robbery. For example, in 2014, California passed Act No. 47, which stipulated that theft below $950 would only be classified as a minor offense, not a serious offense. Some analysts believe that the United States has always regarded serious crimes as the core of its criminal justice system, because combating drugs and terrorism is the key to winning votes, and "minor crimes" do not receive government attention.
Looking deeper, why is "flash robbery" becoming more and more frequent in the United States? Commentators from International Sharp Review searched for relevant reports on "flash robbery" in American media since the beginning of this year and found that it reached its peak in August. According to data from the US Department of Labor, the unemployment rate in August increased by 0.3 percentage points compared to the previous month, reaching the highest level since February 2022. Faced with high inflation and high cost of living, some Americans cannot even afford groceries or a box of gasoline.
This phenomenon seems to create a huge contrast with the recent "good performance" of the US economy. According to data from the US Department of Commerce, in the first half of 2023, the US gross domestic product grew by more than 2%, which was once described as "exceeding expectations" by the outside world. However, the reality is confusing - according to data from the US Energy Information Administration, from January to May this year, commercial, industrial, and residential electricity consumption in the United States decreased by 3%, 2%, and 7% respectively compared to the same period last year.
In general, when the economy is improving, related economic or residential activities should be more active. Why is there a contradiction in the economic data of the United States? For a while, whether the US economy is good or bad has become a hot topic of discussion.
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In addition, some analyses have pointed out that the phenomenon of "flash robbery" reflects the huge wealth gap in American society. According to the Federal Reserve's report on household wealth, by the fourth quarter of 2021, the total wealth of the richest 1% of Americans had reached a record $45.9 trillion, an increase of more than $12 trillion, or more than a third, during the COVID-19 epidemic. On the other hand, the poverty rate in the United States reached 11.4% in 2020, an increase of 0.9 percentage points from 2019. Currently, 37 million people in the United States still live below the poverty line. As the world's number one capitalist country, the United States' glamorous appearance cannot hide the scars of wealth inequality.
Bradley, Executive Vice President of the American Chamber of Commerce, said that the retail industry provides a quarter of jobs in the United States every year. The damage to the retail industry will inevitably bring damage to the US economy. The emergence of the strange phenomena of "zero purchase" and "flash robbery" is not accidental, but reflects the structural drawbacks of the US economy and the lack of social governance. Over time, the United States is likely to fall into a vicious cycle of economic imbalance and social chaos.