POPULAR clothing store Lululemon has announced it will close five more stores.
The closures come at a time when the sports company has been the target of several robbery attempts.
Several Lululemons in Washington D.C. were forced to close recently due to a crime wave in the metro area.
The company has yet to officially confirm the reason for the store closures, but the closure comes after several stores in the DC area were targeted by criminals last week.
The store is located on 14th Street NW and is expected to close permanently on Sunday, July 21, 2024.
In surveillance images obtained by Fox 5Washington DCthe three criminals can be seen stealing merchandise worth thousands of dollars.
One of the criminals is seen wearing a pink baseball cap, another woman with polka dot shoes, a woman with braided buns and a shirtless man in bright blue shorts.
According to the images, the robbery occurred hours after the store opened, on Wednesday morning.
Two hours after the initial incident, the Georgetown and Penn Quarter stores were also robbed.
All kinds of things were stolen, from hats and boxers to shorts and shirts.
US Sun has reached out to Lululemon for comment.
According to National Retail FederationRetail crime has seen a massive escalation in the US.
Last year, retailers reported losses of $112 billion, up from $93 billion in 2021.
Unfortunately, most losses are passed on to potential customers.
“I’m sure companies are trying to make up what they’re losing by raising prices, right?” said one Lululemon shopper.
“So it’s definitely frustrating when the people who buy legally are the ones punished for those people’s crimes.”
It was previously reported by the US Sun that a major Lululemon store in Washington state had closed.
Anti-theft measures implemented by retailers
Retailers in the US and Canada have implemented strategies designed to combat theft. The US Sun has compiled a list of measures that have been implemented in stores.
- Lock items in cabinets.
- Safety stakes.
- Security cameras.
- Signs warning about the impact of theft.
- Receipt scanners.
- Receipt checks.
- Carts with locking technology
Per The Seattle Timesthe store in downtown’s Pacific Place, a popular shopping mall, closed in mid-April.
Pacific Place has suffered since the height of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, seeing fewer customers than ever before.
Lululemon has been directly affected by the decrease in foot traffic and will apparently have to vacate the area.
Avison Young, owner of Pacific Place, called Lululemon’s closure “regrettable.”
The exact reason for the closure is unclear, as the company has not issued an official statement.
Lululemon still has another location in downtown Seattle, near University Village, and eight other locations in Washington.
Fitness enthusiasts can still get what they need – but they might have to travel a little further than before.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story