<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/walmart">Walmart</a> has decided to get rid of self-checkout machines in two locations due to a rise in crime at those lanes not manned by staffed personnel.
Two stores &#8212; one in Cleveland, Ohio, and another at Shrewsbury, Missouri &#8212; said they would be replacing the self-checkout kiosks with staff to “give our associates the chance to provide more personalized and efficient service,” the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/yourmoney/consumer/article-13341161/walmart-self-checkout-removal.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail</a> reported.
&#8220;We&#8217;ve decided to remove self-checkout lanes and replace them with staffed lanes at select locations,&#8221; a spokesperson for Walmart said.
“The decision was based on several factors, including feedback from associates and customers, shopping patterns and business needs in the area,” the person added.
The large retailer would not say if the two stores would be the only locations where the self-checkout machines would be removed, only that it did not &#8220;currently&#8221; have any announcements.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Walmart begins removing self-checkout machines<a href="https://t.co/38r6Eut90H">https://t.co/38r6Eut90H</a>
— VOZ (@Voz_US) <a href="https://twitter.com/Voz_US/status/1782465641569755539?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2024</a></blockquote>
Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData, said, “Most of the rollback of self-checkouts is due to retailer concerns over theft.”
“Theft rates at self-checkouts are reasonably high both because of deliberate actions and accidental mistakes,” he added. “Forcing more customers to used manned checkouts resolves a lot of these issues and saves retailers money.”
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It also turns out that the unmanned kiosks aren’t super popular with shoppers. A recent study from Drexel University in Pennsylvania found that the idea of self-checkout actually left shoppers irritated because they were left to having to do it all themselves, the outlet noted.
Walmart isn’t the only retailer making that decision. <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/yourmoney/consumer/article-13210331/self-checkout-dollar-general-target-walmart.html">Dollar General</a> has opted to take the lanes away altogether from 300 of its stores due to high levels of shoplifting or mis-scanned items, the outlet noted.
&#8220;We believe these actions have the potential to have a material and positive impact on shrink,&#8221; Dollar General CEO Todd Vasos said.
Target also revealed that it was limiting self-checkout kiosk customers to 10 items to improve shoppers&#8217; experience.
The decision follows Walmart&#8217;s recent announcement about the closure of four stores in Chicago, Illinois, due to poor performance at the locations, a move that also occurs as the city sees worsening crime rates.
The decision to shutter the four locations comes one month after Walmart closed the firm&#8217;s remaining two stores in Portland, Oregon. Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said in an interview with CNBC last year that the company has been impacted by an uptick in shoplifting and warned that “stores will close” if the phenomenon is not resolved by city officials.
Ben Zeisloft contributed to this piece.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/walmart-closes-four-stores-in-chicago-amid-elevated-crime-rates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Walmart Closes Four Stores In Chicago Amid Elevated Crime Rates</a>

US-ECONOMY-EARNINGS-WALMART

Walmart Is Getting Rid Of Self-Checkouts At Two Locations Because Of Theft

Crime

Ohio

Target

U.S.

Walmart

Walgreens Pharmacy and store closing sign at entrance, Queens, New York

Dem-Controlled Cities Legalize Shoplifting, Shocked When Businesses Flee

Boston

Chicago

Matt Walsh

Readers Pass

San Francisco

shoplifting

Walgreens

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/crime" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Criminal</a> operations which are expanding in complexity often enable retail theft in the United States, according to a <a href="https://cdn.nrf.com/sites/default/files/2023-04/NRF-K2OrganizedRetailCrimeReportFinal.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> released on Thursday by the National Retail Federation.
Organized retail crime, defined by the trade association as theft which occurs through high-level coordination for the goal of reselling stolen items, has increasingly plagued retailers as crime rates increase across the nation. The report asserts that criminal networks are shifting from the resale of goods on third-party online sellers and leaning more upon peer-to-peer platforms.
“ORC has a parasitic relationship to the economy and society,” the report said, “and its effects extend beyond direct financial costs to the retail industry and the public sector, as ORC presents potential public health and security risks to consumers and communities.”
Rather than seeking to acquire luxury goods, crime networks often coordinate their efforts to steal consumer goods which present ease of theft, monetary value, and ease of resale. An analysis of 116 organized retail crime entities from the National Retail Federation and risk advisory firm K2 Integrity showed that 81% of networks exclusively stole consumer goods such as cosmetics, personal care items, and over-the-counter medications. The cost of securing such goods with tags or other means is high relative to the cost of the products.
The National Retail Federation and the United States Chamber of Commerce sought to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/interest-groups-make-push-to-battle-organized-retail-crime-at-the-federal-level" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rally</a> industry leaders last year to back multiple laws that would increase federal resources devoted to combating organized retail crime. The typical fencing operation handles some $250,000 in stolen merchandise before law enforcement intervenes, according to the report, while the typical booster employed by a criminal network steals $5,000 before he is arrested.
The report said crime networks have become increasingly “violent” and “brazen” in their tactics over the past two years, using methods such as smash-and-grab, weapons, flash mob tactics, or threats of violence against store employees or customers. Viral videos featuring the tactics have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/two-minneapolis-best-buys-robbed-on-black-friday-as-flash-mob-thievery-spreads-beyond-california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">circulated</a> over the past few years as crime rates soar in many cities.
Demand for goods stolen via organized retail crime could be increasingly buoyed by a subculture of youth which maintain a “vague anti-capitalist ideology” and increasingly consider theft acceptable, according to the report. The criminal networks generally do not currently use the dark web to sell stolen products, but the platform could “present a viable venue” in the future should internet users increase their utilization of dark web technology.
The report from the National Retail Federation comes as restaurants and stores close in large cities partially in response to surging crime. Walmart this week <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/walmart-closes-four-stores-in-chicago-amid-elevated-crime-rates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> the closure of four stores in Chicago as Whole Foods <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/san-franciscos-flagship-whole-foods-closes-after-only-one-year-due-to-high-crime-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shutters</a> its flagship location in downtown San Francisco.
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Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said in an <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/06/walmart-ceo-says-shoplifting-could-lead-to-price-jumps-store-closures.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> last year that the retail behemoth has been impacted by an uptick in shoplifting and warned that “stores will close” if the phenomenon is not resolved by city officials. “Theft is an issue. It’s higher than what it has historically been,” he remarked. “We’ve got safety measures, security measures that we’ve put in place by store location. I think local law enforcement being staffed and being a good partner is part of that equation, and that’s normally how we approach it.”

Protests, Unrest, And Riots In Minneapolis

Retail Theft Often Preplanned By Complex Criminal Networks, New Report Asserts

Retail Theft Often Preplanned By Criminal Networks, New Report Says

Business

Theft

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/walmart" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Walmart</a> announced the closure of four stores in <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/chicago" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chicago</a>, Illinois, on Tuesday due to poor <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/business" target="_blank" rel="noopener">performance</a> at the locations, a move that also occurs as the city sees worsening <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/crime" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crime</a> rates.
The retail behemoth said that the four locations “have not been profitable since we opened the first one nearly 17 years ago” with annual losses doubling in the past five years. The four Walmart stores that remain open “continue to face the same difficulties,” but executives believe shuttering some of the locations creates the best opportunity to keep the others open.
“Over the years, we have tried many different strategies to improve the business performance of these locations, including building smaller stores, localizing product assortment and offering services beyond traditional retail,” Walmart said in a <a href="https://corporate.walmart.com/newsroom/2023/04/11/walmart-announces-closure-of-four-chicago-stores" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>. “It was hoped that these investments would help improve our stores’ performance. Unfortunately, these efforts have not materially improved the fundamental business challenges our stores are facing.”
Associates at the affected locations will be permitted to transfer elsewhere. Walmart added that they will continue seeking solutions to “racial inequity and food deserts” in Chicago.
The decision to shutter the four locations comes one month after Walmart closed the firm’s remaining two stores in Portland, Oregon. Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said in an <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/06/walmart-ceo-says-shoplifting-could-lead-to-price-jumps-store-closures.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with CNBC last year that the company has been impacted by an uptick in shoplifting and warned that “stores will close” if the phenomenon is not resolved by city officials.
“Theft is an issue. It’s higher than what it has historically been,” he commented. “We’ve got safety measures, security measures that we’ve put in place by store location. I think local law enforcement being staffed and being a good partner is part of that equation, and that’s normally how we approach it.”
Lawlessness in Chicago has indeed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wake-of-destruction-the-legacy-of-chicagos-departing-mayor-lori-lightfoot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increased</a> dramatically over the past four years. There were 490 homicides in the Windy City as of 2019 before murders soared to 772 in 2020 and 800 in 2021 as nationwide Black Lives Matter protests occurred in the wake of the death of George Floyd. Chicago Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who has a personal police unit with 71 officers assigned to protect her life, meanwhile <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chicago-mayor-lightfoot-has-71-person-police-unit-to-protect-her-blames-trump-for-being-in-danger" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposed</a> eliminating $80 million from the Chicago Police Department budget in 2020.
Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leftist-chicago-mayoral-candidate-defeats-moderate-rival-will-succeed-lori-lightfoot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">elected</a> last week to succeed Lightfoot as the next mayor of Chicago; he defeated former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas, a moderate rival who had supported increasing law enforcement and bolstering public safety, in a relatively close race.
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Johnson garnered criticism throughout the campaign, which centered largely on the city’s struggles to handle rising violent crime, for his description of the “defund the police” movement as an “actual, real political goal” in a 2020 radio interview. He <a href="https://blockclubchicago.org/2023/03/16/im-not-going-to-defund-the-police-brandon-johnson-tries-to-set-the-record-straight-on-his-public-safety-plan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denounced</a> the statement in later interviews as Vallas made his initial remarks a feature in his campaign advertisements.
The announcement of the Walmart closures also comes on the same day reports <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrats-choose-crime-ridden-city-for-2024-convention" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> that the Democratic National Committee selected Chicago as the host city for the 2024 convention, where President Joe Biden is expected to secure the nomination to run for a second term.

Walmart Quarterly Revenue Surges 8.6 Percent During COVID-19 Pandemic

Walmart Closes Four Stores In Chicago Amid Elevated Crime Rates

Walmart Closes Four Stores In Chicago

Lori Lightfoot

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/walmart" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Walmart</a> announced on Tuesday that 65% of its stores will be serviced by <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/technology" target="_blank" rel="noopener">automation</a> within the next three years, a development which follows persistent shortages of <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/supply-chain" target="_blank" rel="noopener">supply chain</a> workers.
The retail behemoth said in a <a href="https://corporate.walmart.com/newsroom/2023/04/04/walmart-outlines-growth-strategy-unveils-next-generation-supply-chain-at-2023-investment-community-meeting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a> that executives will prioritize logistics innovations powered by both humans and technology in the coming years. As automation arrives at the majority of Walmart stores, which also operate as components of the firm’s logistics operations, some 55% of fulfillment center volume will move through automated facilities, a change that could produce 20% improvements in unit cost averages.
Walmart recently showcased the supply chain innovations at a regional distribution center in Brooksville, Florida, where a combination of data, software, and robotics solutions enables “a more consistent, predictable and higher quality delivery service to stores and customers,” as well as faster reactions to shifting consumer demand. Walmart is one of the <a href="https://corporate.walmart.com/askwalmart/how-many-people-work-at-walmart" target="_blank" rel="noopener">largest</a> private sector employers in the United States and currently has 1.6 million domestic associates.
The company noted that the new technology will create roles that “require less physical labor but have a higher rate of pay” even as the number of overall employees are maintained or increased. “We are a people-led, tech-powered omnichannel retailer,” Walmart CEO Doug McMillon remarked in the press release. “As it relates to being people-led, it’s about purpose, values, culture, opportunity and belonging. We serve our associates by creating opportunities.”
The news occurs as the persistent labor shortages which followed the lockdown-induced recession continue to produce difficulties for public and private entities seeking to hire more workers. There exist roughly 9.9 million job openings and 5.9 million unemployed individuals across the economy, according to a <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, reflecting a labor market that has worsened inflationary pressures as firms increase compensation.
Walmart indeed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/walmart-raises-minimum-wages-as-worker-shortages-crunch-labor-market" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hiked</a> their minimum wages earlier this year such that average pay for employees across the country will now surpass $17.50 per hour. Amazon, another leading private sector employer, also <a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/amazon-invests-nearly-1-billion-in-increased-wages-for-operations-employees#:~:text=Average%20hourly%20pay%20for%20employees,and%20location%20in%20the%20U.S." target="_blank" rel="noopener">unveiled</a> nationwide wage increases: average hourly pay for employees in customer fulfillment and transportation are slated to increase above $19.00 per hour, with employees earning between $16.00 per hour and $26.00 per hour depending on their position and their location in the United States.
Walmart addressed the particularly severe worker shortages in their supply chain operations by revealing initiatives meant to help store associates become certified as truck drivers and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/walmart-will-now-offer-up-to-110000-salary-for-new-drivers-announces-12-week-training-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earn</a> as much as $110,000 during their first year in the new position. The economy as a whole currently has a shortfall of 80,000 truck drivers, according to <a href="https://trucking.org/news-insights/ata-chief-economist-pegs-driver-shortage-historic-high" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the American Trucking Association, which noted that the figure could expand to 160,000 drivers in the next seven years.
Companies in the service industry have likewise turned toward automation amid the labor shortages: McDonald’s recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-real-minimum-wage-is-zero-mcdonalds-restaurant-uses-automation-for-pickups-and-orders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">created</a> a test restaurant in Texas in which customers can use kiosks and a mobile app to pick up their orders from a conveyor belt rather than interacting with customer-facing staff, while Chipotle <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-passed-a-new-minimum-wage-bill-now-chipotle-is-testing-a-robotic-chip-maker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tested</a> a robotic tortilla chip maker in a California location.
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Discussions about technological unemployment over the past several decades have centered on blue-collar workers losing their jobs to automation and robotics. The recent widespread adoption of ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence language processing tool that can complete tasks such as writing code or drafting emails in a matter of seconds, has nevertheless broadened the conversation to white-collar professionals. Artificial intelligence could replace as much as 7% of jobs in the United States, according to a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/colossal-share-of-american-jobs-could-be-replaced-by-ai-new-report-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> published this week by Goldman Sachs.

Majority Of Walmart Stores Will Be Automated Within The Next Three Years

Most Walmart Stores Will Be Automated Within The Next Three Years

Economy

Robots

Supply Chain

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/walmart" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Walmart</a> executives projected during an investors call on Tuesday that food <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/inflation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inflation</a> will remain persistent for the foreseeable future.
Even as headline inflation statistics declined from 9.1% in June 2022 to 6.4% in January 2023, an increase in food prices has been especially salient for households attempting to make ends meet, according to recent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inflation-rises-more-than-expected-in-january-after-biden-claimed-prices-are-coming-down" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Costs for food at home increased 11.3% between January 2022 and January 2023, while costs for food away from home rose 8.2% over the same period.
An analyst asked Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner and Walmart CEO Douglas McMillon during the grocery behemoth’s fourth-quarter <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/q4-2023-walmart-inc-earnings-044345687.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earnings call</a> whether the company expects food inflation trends to worsen or improve relative to other product categories. Furner remarked that food inflation “has been the most stubborn” driver of elevated price levels and noted that only “a little bit” has declined in the past several months. “We would have hoped and expected it to have come back more than it has going into this year,” he responded.
McMillon added that dry grocery items and consumables are the most “stubborn” and said that inflationary pressures in the categories would “be with us for a while.” He went on to say future nominal disinflation would nevertheless compound price increases from previous years.
“You’ll probably hear inflation numbers that start to sound lower, but you&#8217;ll have to remember that&#8217;s on a two-year stack,” McMillon continued. “So if inflation in dry grocery and consumables is only 3% or 5%, that&#8217;s on top of 15%. And that&#8217;s still a problem for the customer and still a pressure to their wallet.”
Inflation has progressively eroded purchasing power over the past two years, prompting some households to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/personal-savings-rate-plummets-to-lowest-level-since-2005" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fund</a> their consumption with savings and debt. Some 50% of respondents to a recent Gallup <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/469898/half-say-worse-off-highest-2009.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> said they are financially worse off compared to one year ago, while 35% believe they are financially better off, constituting the most dismal results for the poll since the economy crashed in 2008 and 2009.
The most recent price level report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics occurred one week after President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2023/02/07/remarks-of-president-joe-biden-state-of-the-union-address-as-prepared-for-delivery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that “inflation is coming down” during his second State of the Union address. “Inflation has been a global problem because of the pandemic that disrupted supply chains and Putin’s war that disrupted energy and food supplies,” he contended. “But we’re better positioned than any country on Earth.”
McMillon has previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/walmart-ceo-inflation-will-be-with-us-basically-forever-at-some-level" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that Walmart is benefiting from households that had previously shopped at more expensive grocery stores. “Higher income families are shopping at Walmart because they’re so price sensitive right now,” he remarked last year. “Families making more than $100,000 in household income have driven a lot of our growth during this last quarter.”
McDonald’s CFO Ian Borden likewise <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mcdonalds-earnings-soar-as-customers-seek-relief-from-inflation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> last month that the fast food restaurant chain’s relatively less expensive offerings had drawn new business. “We can actually look at what is our share amongst low-income consumers; we’re gaining share right now among low-income consumers. And that goes back to the fact that we are positioned as the leading brand in terms of value for money and affordability,” he said during the company’s third-quarter <a href="https://seekingalpha.com/article/4549874-mcdonalds-corporation-mcd-q3-2022-earnings-call-transcript" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earnings call</a>. “To the degree that we end up in a more challenging economic environment in 2023, that’s going to be helpful to our business trends.”

Walmart Executives Predict How Long ‘Stubborn’ Food Inflation Will Last

Walmart Executives Predict How Long 'Stubborn' Food Inflation Will Last

Inflation

Several large companies are reversing the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/remote-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener">remote work</a> policies they enacted during the lockdown-induced recession and are requiring employees to appear in physical office spaces for at least part of the week.
Many firms in the sector have been dismissing large portions of their headcounts as post-lockdown demand surges begin to mitigate. <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/amazon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon</a> and <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/walmart" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Walmart</a> told their employees to appear in the office at least three days and two days per week, respectively.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy wrote in a Friday <a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/andy-jassy-update-on-amazon-return-to-office" target="_blank" rel="noopener">memo</a> to employees that the company believes “teams tend to find ways to work through hard and complex trade-offs faster” when they are in the same physical location.
“It’s easier to learn, model, practice, and strengthen our culture when we’re in the office together most of the time and surrounded by our colleagues,” he continued. “When you’re in-person, people tend to be more engaged, observant, and attuned to what’s happening in the meetings and the cultural clues being communicated.”
Beyond requiring their technology employees to work from offices at least twice each week, Walmart will close three technology hubs in Texas, California, and Oregon. Employees will be compensated for their relocation expenses to cities with primary technology hubs if they decide to remain with the company and will be offered severance if they leave the firm, according to a Monday <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/walmart-to-close-three-tech-hubs-tells-tech-staff-to-return-to-offices-3fb131e4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">memo</a> from Walmart CTO Suresh Kumar seen by the Wall Street Journal.
Employees generally prefer remote or hybrid work arrangements due to time savings from avoided commutes, as well as the flexibility to more easily balance work and personal matters, according to a <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/355907/remote-work-persisting-trending-permanent.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> from Gallup. The costs for employers, however, can outweigh the benefits from attracting and retaining talent: 85% of managers say the shift to hybrid work “has made it challenging to have confidence that employees are being productive,” according to a <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index/hybrid-work-is-just-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> from Microsoft.
Disney CEO Bob Iger likewise <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/back-to-work-disney-employees-told-to-show-up-in-the-office-at-least-four-days-a-week" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> last month that he would require employees to work from offices, preferably between Monday and Thursday. “As you’ve heard me say many times, creativity is the heart and soul of who we are and what we do at Disney,” the executive remarked. “And in a creative business like ours, nothing can replace the ability to connect, observe, and create with peers that comes from being physically together.”
Many companies, on the other hand, have allowed top performers to continue working from home. Walmart will permit some employees to remain full-time remote staff members; Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a leading skeptic of virtual work arrangements, has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/musk-remote-work-is-no-longer-acceptable-at-tesla" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that he would consider allowing “particularly exceptional contributors” at the automaker to work remotely.
The trend toward consolidating office spaces and requiring employees to return to offices occurs as several technology companies face pressure from investors over declining profitability, resulting in the decision to introduce mass layoffs. Microsoft, Google, and Amazon <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-white-house-brushed-off-concerns-about-mass-firings-at-microsoft-and-amazon-now-google-is-laying-off-employees-too" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> their intentions to decrease payrolls by more than 40,000 workers over the past several weeks. More than 77,000 workers have been dismissed from prominent technology firms thus far in 2023, according to a <a href="https://news.crunchbase.com/startups/tech-layoffs/#:~:text=More%20than%2046%2C000%20workers%20in,person%20layoff%20announcements%20this%20week." target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from Crunchbase, even after companies in the sector dismissed some 140,000 positions last year.

Fired

Large Companies Roll Back Remote Work, Make Employees Show Up To The Office At Least Part Of The Week

Companies Make Workers Show Up To The Office At Least Part Of The Week

Amazon

Big Tech

Remote Work

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/texas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Texas</a> man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to killing nearly two dozen people during a mass shooting at an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/el-paso" target="_blank" rel="noopener">El Paso</a>, Texas, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/walmart" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Walmart</a> in 2019.
The 24-year-old man of Allen, Texas, is facing 90 federal charges, including hate crime and firearms charges, related to the August 3, 2019, massacre. His attorneys said last month that he intended to plead guilty after prosecutors with the federal government said they would not seek the death penalty, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-united-states-government-patrick-crusius-texas-el-paso-a2a924593883056af3782f33e3200fee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press</a>.
“I plead guilty,” the man said in a court house in El Paso. The courtroom was filled with the family members and friends of those killed in the shooting about three-and-a-half years ago.
Though U.S. prosecutors do not intend to push for the death penalty, the man still could face the death penalty. He still faces state charges which carry with them the possibility of capital punishment should he be found guilty. The defendant has pleaded not guilty to the state charges.
Federal prosecutors plan to recommend that the defendant face 90 consecutive life sentences in prison. Defense attorney Joe Spencer said that his client wanted to take responsibility for the shooting and begin serving his sentence.
“We’re glad that it’s finally done,” Spencer said, according to the <a href="https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/crime/2023/02/08/patrick-crusius-pleads-guilty-el-paso-walmart-shooting-hate-crime-charges/69881963007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">El Paso Times</a>. “And he’s glad that it is finally done. There are no winners in this case. He’s going to be serving 90 consecutive life sentences.”
The admitted shooter drove from Allen, a suburb north of Dallas, to El Paso on the day of the massacre. After reaching El Paso, he posted online about a “Hispanic invasion” of Texas, prosecutors said.
“This attack is a response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas. They are the instigators, not me. I am simply defending my country from cultural and ethnic replacement brought on by the invasion,” the man allegedly wrote in a document titled, “The Inconvenient Truth.”
After posting the message, he <a href="https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/2023/02/08/el-paso-walmart-shooting-suspect-patrick-crusius-guilty-plea-updates/69881966007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">took</a> a rifle and hundreds of rounds of ammunition and shot dozens inside a local Walmart and in the store’s parking lot. Twenty-three people died in the rampage and dozens more were wounded. The shooter surrendered to law enforcement shortly thereafter.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott <a href="https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-statement-on-second-anniversary-of-el-paso-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> a statement on the two-year anniversary of the shooting, calling it a “heinous and senseless act of violence.”
&#8220;Two years ago today, a heinous and senseless act of violence destroyed countless lives in the El Paso community. As we dealt with the aftermath of the horrific violence and overwhelming grief, we also saw the true spirit of what it means to be a Texan,” Abbott said.
“People from every corner of the Lone Star State banded together to support and uplift El Pasoans during their time of loss. And together as a state, we stepped up to protect our communities and prevent future tragedies,” he added.

El Paso

Texas Man Pleads Guilty In El Paso Walmart Shooting That Left 23 Dead

El Paso Shooting

Texas

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/walmart" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Walmart</a> announced on Tuesday that the grocery and retail <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/business" target="_blank" rel="noopener">corporation</a> will increase average <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/wages" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wages</a> for many associates as the job market witnesses a persistent shortage of labor supply.
Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner revealed in a <a href="https://corporate.walmart.com/newsroom/2023/01/24/continuing-to-strengthen-our-jobs-and-invest-in-our-people" target="_blank" rel="noopener">memo</a> that the company plans to implement raises in select stores such that rates are more appealing relative to competitors. Average pay for Walmart employees across the nation will now surpass $17.50 per hour.
“Starting next month, we’ll begin investing in higher wages for associates,” Furner wrote. “This includes a mixture of associates’ regular annual increases and targeted investments in starting rates for thousands of stores, to ensure we have attractive pay in the markets we operate.”
Walmart is one of the largest private sector employers in the United States; the company currently has 1.7 million domestic associates, according to the retailer’s <a href="https://corporate.walmart.com/askwalmart/how-many-people-work-at-walmart" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>. The firm also announced the expansion of various programs related to education initiatives for employees, including an increase in the number of college degrees for which associates can be reimbursed.
Amazon, another leading private sector employer, likewise unveiled nationwide wage increases toward the end of last year: average hourly pay for employees in customer fulfillment and transportation are slated to increase above $19.00 per hour, with employees earning between $16.00 per hour and $26.00 per hour depending on their position and location in the United States, according to a <a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/amazon-invests-nearly-1-billion-in-increased-wages-for-operations-employees#:~:text=Average%20hourly%20pay%20for%20employees,and%20location%20in%20the%20U.S." target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a> from the e-commerce firm.
The wage increases occur as private and public sector employers struggle to hire. There exist roughly 10.5 million job openings and 5.7 million unemployed individuals across the economy, according to a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/unemployment-plummets-in-december-as-federal-reserve-vows-more-rate-hikes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, reflecting a constrained labor market that has worsened inflationary pressures as firms increase compensation.
Even as unemployment rates continue to decline, labor force participation has not recovered following the lockdown-induced recession: the metric, which tracks the percentage of the working-age population currently employed or searching for a position, fell from 63% in early 2020 to roughly 62% in late 2022, according to <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CIVPART" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-reserve-chair-jerome-powell-discusses-future-slowdown-of-rate-hikes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">remarked</a> that the workforce “participation gap” is largely a result of “excess retirements” that occurred beyond “what would have been expected from population aging alone,” even as younger cohorts largely return to the job market.
Walmart also revealed incentives meant to help store associates and supply chain employees become certified as truck drivers and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/walmart-will-now-offer-up-to-110000-salary-for-new-drivers-announces-12-week-training-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earn</a> as much as $110,000 during their first year in the new position. The constrained labor market has indeed contributed to supply chain bottlenecks; the nation is short 80,000 truck drivers, according to <a href="https://trucking.org/news-insights/ata-chief-economist-pegs-driver-shortage-historic-high" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the American Trucking Association, which noted that the figure could expand to 160,000 drivers by 2030.
Other companies have unveiled moves to automate their operations as the persistent labor shortages disadvantage employers in the job market. McDonald’s recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-real-minimum-wage-is-zero-mcdonalds-restaurant-uses-automation-for-pickups-and-orders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">created</a> a test restaurant in Texas in which customers can use kiosks and a mobile app to grab their orders from a conveyor belt rather than interacting with customer-facing staff, while Chipotle <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-passed-a-new-minimum-wage-bill-now-chipotle-is-testing-a-robotic-chip-maker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tested</a> a robotic chip maker in a California location.

Walmart Raises Minimum Wages As Worker Shortages Crunch Labor Market

Walmart Raises Wages As Labor Shortages Crunch Job Market

Jobs

Wages

Mega party supply <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/finance/3818150-party-city-files-for-bankruptcy-protection/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shop</a> Party City <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2023/01/18/party-city-bankruptcy-filing-news/11074820002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed</a> for bankruptcy protection on Tuesday.
The company, Party City Holdco Inc. (PCHI) <a href="https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/0001592058/000119312523009847/d643228d8k.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed</a> for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protections along with some of its domestic subsidiaries, according to a press <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pchi-enters-into-restructuring-support-agreement-with-senior-secured-noteholder-ad-hoc-group-to-advance-transformation-and-enhance-market-leadership-from-strengthened-financial-position-301724164.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">release</a> on Tuesday. Some other subsidiaries and its Anagram business are not included in the bankruptcy process. The company brought on a financial advisor in November.
Party City also said that it has struck a deal with an ad hoc group in order to help with the restructuring and cut down on its debt. The company noted that the restructuring was “[p]re-negotiated” and “[e]xpedited,” and they anticipate it will cut down on debt and best utilize its liquidity. It <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/18/business/party-city-bankruptcy/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that it has $150 million from the ad hoc group that will let it keep its stores going. 
&#8220;In the face of pandemic headwinds, a global supply chain crisis, and other macroeconomic challenges that have faced our industry, we have made significant strides in PCHI&#8217;s ongoing transformation – establishing a solid foundation for long-term growth and continued success as the market leader in the celebrations space,&#8221; Brad Weston, Chief Executive Officer of PCHI said in the release. &#8220;Today&#8217;s action to strengthen PCHI&#8217;s balance sheet will bolster our ability to further advance our strategic priorities and continue to innovate and elevate the customer experience.”
&#8220;As we take this important step to put our business on stronger financial footing for the future, we are as committed as ever to inspiring joy by making it easy for our customers to create unforgettable memories. We appreciate the commitment of our team members and the continued support of our partners as we further enhance our position as the &#8216;go to&#8217; one-stop-shop for celebrating life&#8217;s special moments,” Weston noted. 
Party City stores are still open for people to shop at, as well as its online website. The company anticipates the restructuring process to be done in the second quarter of this year. 
It is also filing motions in order to keep up its everyday workings, which involve its requests to keep paying its workers and giving them benefits. It also wants to “honor customer programs and policies.” 
While Party City has grown, it has also had to come to terms with the increasing popularity of e-commerce companies and major retailers, CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/18/party-city-files-for-bankruptcy-to-restructure-piling-debt.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. It didn’t expand its online platform, but rather spent money maintaining 800 shops around the United States. 
“They’re competing against Walmart, and Target and Amazon and the dollar stores and grocery stores,” Joe Feldman, an analyst at Telsey Advisory Group, said. He used to cover Party City since the company went public in 2015, but stopped at the end of last year.

DABEADF1-BF52-4607-91F9-93BE3D15E42B_1_201_a

Party City Issues Filing For Bankruptcy Protection

Dollar General

A mom on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tiktok">TikTok</a> went viral after posting videos of her <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/children">child’s</a> Christmas present telling inappropriate jokes.
Ashley Lynn, who uses the handle @mamabearash, headed to the social media platform to get the word out about a toy that she claims her grandmother purchased for the child at Walmart.
The mom said everything was going fine as her child was playing with the electronic remote-themed toy from the company Linsay until she started hearing the toy making jokes that definitely weren’t appropriate for children.
In the <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@mommabearash/video/7180975479506144554">video</a>, Lynn presses a button and the toy can be heard saying, &#8220;How many Catholic priests are required to screw a lightbulb into its socket? Two: one to do the screwing, and one to hear the confession.&#8221;
After another button press, the toy told another weird joke. 
“Tom told his friend he has a job with 10,000 people under him,” the toy can be heard saying. “His friend replied, ‘Wow, he must be the CEO of a corporation.’ Tom said, ‘No, he cuts the grass in a cemetery.&#8217;”
Lynn said that joke was “kind of funny — but still, for a baby?”
After a few other button presses, the toy can be heard joking about drive-by shootings.
&#8220;You&#8217;ll never guess what makes a clip-clop, clip-clop, bang bang, clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop noise: an Amish drive-by shooting.&#8221;
Lynn noted that this toy was advertised for children, saying “there’s a baby on the box” and that while the box also says that the remote “tells jokes,” she didn’t expect them to be so inappropriate for kids. 
The TikTok clip racked up close to two million views on the platform.
One website selling this same Linsay Smart Toys Learning TV Remote Control describes it as a “light up toy remote for toddlers and kids with ABC songs, stories, music and fun sound effects and buttons with different shapes and textures” that’s “fun for babies through preschoolers.”
The single <a href="https://www.shopmyexchange.com/linsay-smart-toys-learning-tv-remote-control/2909782">review</a>, which gave the product one star, on that shopping site also mentions the toy&#8217;s jokes.
“Do NOT buy this!!,” the purchaser warns. “There are a number of jokes on here involving: Catholic priests and screwing, Amish drive by shootings, A joke about Santa, an honest lawyer, and the easter bunny not existing but a drunk man existing, and a lawyer willing to pick anyone’s side in a car wreck case.” 
“This IS NOT for babies, let alone kids!” the reviewer concludes.
Lynn posted an update saying the company got back to her promptly and said they had “opened an investigation” into the problem and that the toy “would stop being sold.”
In a statement, a Walmart spokesperson <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/babys-outraged-mom-tiktok-toy-spews-crude-jokes-place-songs-sounds">told</a> Fox News Digital that the “item was listed by an outside third-party seller and removed from our site because it does not comply with our prohibited products policy.”
“Like other major retailers, we operate an online marketplace that allows third-party sellers to offer merchandise through our eCommerce platform. Walmart strives to maintain a marketplace that customers can trust,” the statement said.

Baby playing

TikTok Video Of Baby Toy Telling Dirty Jokes About Priests, Drive-By Shootings Goes Viral

TikTok Of Baby Toy Telling Dirty Jokes About Priests, Drive-By Shootings Goes Viral

Children

Comedy

General

TikTok

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mississippi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mississippi</a> police officer shot and killed a woman who had taken an employee hostage inside a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/walmart" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Walmart</a> Wednesday.
Video taken by a bystander inside the store showed Corlunda McGinister, a 21-year-old Arkansas woman, holding a gun in her right hand as her left hand was on the back of a stunned Walmart employee. McGinister is heard making requests for a news anchor, saying she doesn’t want to hurt anyone as she forces the Walmart worker to walk with her away from the person recording. 
“Hey, give me a news anchor down here right now,” she <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/12/23/mississippi-cops-fatally-shoot-woman-corlunda-mcginister-for-holding-walmart-worker-hostage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. 
“I need help, I need help,” McGinister added. “Give me a news anchor down here.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Viral video posted to TikTok showed an apparent hostage situation unfold at a Walmart in Richland, Mississippi. A woman held a Walmart employee at gunpoint. News reports indicate the suspect was shot dead by police. No other injuries were reported. 📹: 504bigmama <a href="https://t.co/KZKYPTn0jC">pic.twitter.com/KZKYPTn0jC</a>
&mdash; Malik Earnest (@MalikEarnest) <a href="https://twitter.com/MalikEarnest/status/1605881928871133189?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Witnesses <a href="https://www.wlbt.com/2022/12/23/richland-walmart-reopens-after-officer-involved-shooting-armed-hostage-situation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the woman got into a confrontation with the worker in the customer service department before taking her hostage. 
The hostage situation was reported at around 5:45 p.m., and officers with the Richland Police Department quickly moved in on the hostage taker, pleading with her to drop her weapon and let the employee go. Two hours after the incident was reported, McGinister was shot and killed by an officer. 
&#8220;RPD had an officer-involved shooting this evening at Walmart. All of our officers are safe. Walmart is secure and closed at this time. MBI will be conducting an independent investigation,&#8221; the Richland Police Department stated, <a href="https://www.wapt.com/article/rankin-county-coroner-responding-to-officer-involved-shooting-at-richland-walmart/42312226" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to WAPT. 
Richland Police Chief Nick McClendon informed the public that no one else was injured in the shooting. 
&#8220;It&#8217;s devastating for all parties involved — the officers, everybody that was involved in this situation,&#8221; he said. &#8220;You know, with the Christmas season coming, mental health is a big deal because of the stress involved in the Christmas season.&#8221;
The Mississippi Walmart reopened with police stationed inside and outside of the store to help customers feel safe.

Police

Police Officer Fatally Shoots Woman Holding Walmart Employee Hostage

Mississippi

Shooting

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