So I get that businesses are fighting for every cent.
I do.
They have absurd overhead, gluttonous taxes and stiff competition in every industry just to stay afloat in these hard times, but the amount of trouble Safeway just bought nationwide is probably more expensive than the $10 they fought for on principle.
It's not like we condone shoplifting, but these folks paid for $50 worth of groceries and were arrested while their child was taken from them before they ever got so much as a reminder about the sandwiches the pregnant mother ate in the store. Criminal Defense isn't exactly my forte, but why did no one bring this up at the register when they were paying for things? You know, with money?
Safeway appears to have bitten off more than they can chew as being tough on shoplifters carries a very different image than a grossly overblown misunderstanding that results in parents having their child torn from their arms. This event is bad advertising that lasts and also stands as a cautionary tale that customers have to consider before entering the stores.
Management might misunderstand something a customer does, but customers won't know until they release the hounds.
Will Safeway go under as a result of this? Not likely, but that doesn't rule out Bankruptcy in Safeway's future now that Target has jumped into the whole "grocer" thing with both feet. Competition for your grocery dollars is tough, but it became much tougher for Safeway as a chain.
If Safeway isn't as "safe" as they pretend to be, why shop there?
