Target is rolling out one of its most ambitious crackdowns, reshaping operations at nearly 2,000 U.S. stores in 2025. The move is driven by mounting challenges—soaring organized retail crime, increased violence in stores, and shrinking profits tied to theft and security concerns.
While some changes are highly visible, like new checkout restrictions, others are behind the scenes, involving advanced surveillance and law enforcement collaboration. Executives say the goal is simple: make stores safer and more sustainable for employees and shoppers. Still, the sweeping overhaul has already stirred both praise and pushback.
Why Now?
Target’s decision comes against the backdrop of unprecedented theft. According to the company’s 2024 SEC filings, losses from “shrink”—a retail term covering theft, fraud, and error—topped $500 million. Analysts at Morgan Stanley told CNBC the figure was “staggering” and warned that unchecked shrinkage threatens profitability across the industry.
The issue has reached a tipping point for Target, which already closed nine stores in 2023, citing crime concerns. Executives told investors on an earnings call that 2025 would be the year they recalibrate how convenience and security coexist in stores.
The Crackdown Measures
At the heart of the policy overhaul is a change most customers will notice: Target limits self-checkout to those with 10 items or fewer. The decision comes after years of reports that large orders at self-checkout provided easy cover for theft. In addition, Target is scaling up staff training, deploying new in-store surveillance tools, and investing in data analytics to monitor theft patterns.
The company told shareholders it is also deepening cooperation with local law enforcement and federal agencies. Executives say these measures are meant to deter crime and improve staff safety.
When Convenience Bends
For years, self-checkout was sold as a time-saver, but experts say it has also become one of retail’s biggest vulnerabilities. According to the National Retail Federation’s 2023 shrink report, repeat offenders often exploit the system, sometimes leaving stores with thousands of dollars in unpaid merchandise. Target’s rollback isn’t unique. Walmart and Dollar General are also reevaluating self-checkout policies.
Retail analyst Neil Saunders told CNN that companies realize that “convenience technology needs guardrails,” or losses will continue to outpace its benefits. For shoppers, this often means longer waits at manned registers.
Nationwide in Scope
While earlier responses focused on select locations, Target is now rolling out its crackdown nationwide, reaching nearly all of its 2,000 stores. The expansion covers both urban centers and suburban outlets. The scale reflects a corporate decision to prioritize safety and sustainability everywhere, not just in the hardest-hit markets.
Executives told analysts the aim is consistency across the chain so customers know what to expect, whether shopping in New York City, Phoenix, or a small Midwestern town. The company says organized retail crime is a nationwide crisis, not just a local one.
Pushback and Boycotts
The crackdown is unfolding during a turbulent year for Target. Consumer boycotts, particularly over the company’s rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion policies in early 2025, have already dented sales. According to Q1 2025 earnings, net sales fell 2.8% to $23.8 billion. Political activists on both sides are keeping pressure high, questioning corporate responsibility and community values.
Some critics argue the crackdown could alienate loyal customers who prize speed and ease. These pressures leave Target juggling both theft and reputational challenges of being a major retailer in polarized times.
Target’s Official Line
Target executives stress that safety is the driving force behind these changes. In a statement filed with the SEC, the company said: “We serve an important role in communities, but can only succeed if the working and shopping environment is safe for all.”
CEO Brian Cornell has repeatedly framed the crackdown as necessary to keep stores open in markets where crime has strained operations. On the Q1 2025 earnings call, Cornell told analysts that theft threatens “the sustainability of the business model” and must be addressed directly.
The Rise of Organized Retail Crime
Industry experts say organized theft rings—not casual shoplifters—are now the greatest threat to big-box stores. These groups exploit store layouts, staff schedules, and technology loopholes. According to the NRF’s 2023 shrink report, retail shrink across the U.S. hit $112.1 billion in 2022, up from $93.9 billion in 2021.
That escalation is fueling corporate alarm. Analysts told CNBC the data highlights how theft has shifted from a nuisance to a systemic crisis. With its large footprint, Target is often singled out by these networks, making the company’s crackdown both urgent and symbolic.
Rising Violence Against Staff
The crackdown isn’t only about stolen goods—it’s also about safety. Reports from the United Food and Commercial Workers union highlight a rise in threats and assaults against employees, often linked to attempted thefts. Incidents include verbal abuse, physical aggression, and confrontations involving individuals under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Labor advocates say companies like Target must invest in training and security to safeguard workers and protect profits. According to union representatives, many employees view the crackdown less as a corporate policy and more as overdue protection.
High-Stakes Partnerships
Target is not acting alone. The company is collaborating with the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations division to strengthen intelligence-sharing on organized retail crime. DHS officials confirmed the partnership in trade press interviews, noting retailers are increasingly central in combating theft that stretches across state lines.
Local police partnerships are also expanding, with coordinated efforts during high-volume shopping periods. Executives say these alliances represent a shift from treating theft as isolated shoplifting to confronting it as part of a larger criminal network that requires federal coordination.
Shaping Legislation
Beyond its own stores, Target is lobbying for policy reform. Executives told CNBC they have joined other retailers in urging lawmakers to pass stricter penalties for organized theft and to update classification standards for repeat offenders. Industry groups argue that current laws often treat shoplifting as a minor offense, even when financial losses are significant.
Target believes corporate security investments will have a limited effect without updated laws. Analysts say these lobbying efforts highlight how retailers now view crime as both a business and a legislative problem.
Changing How We Shop
Retail experts believe Target’s crackdown could reshape the shopping experience across the country. With fewer self-checkout options, more visible security, and stricter in-store monitoring, the casual ease of big-box shopping may fade. Shopper surveys cited by Forbes show consumers are divided—some prioritize safety, while others worry about inconvenience.
Analysts told CNN the heightened security could change how Americans perceive everyday errands. Whether welcomed or resented, the changes mark a cultural shift in what was once a routine trip to Target. The shopping experience, once predictable, is now being reshaped by crime trends.
Industry-Wide Ripples
Target isn’t alone in confronting these issues. Walmart, Home Depot, and CVS announced new anti-theft strategies in 2025, from store redesigns to enhanced law enforcement partnerships. Retail analyst Burt Flickinger told CNBC that the “entire sector is in crisis mode,” with companies scrambling to adapt before losses mount further.
The fact that industry leaders are moving in unison suggests this isn’t a passing phase but a long-term realignment. In effect, Target’s crackdown is both a corporate necessity and a preview of what shopping may look like everywhere.
The Numbers Behind Shrink
The financial stakes are enormous. Target projects shrink-related losses could reach $1.2 billion in 2025, double the previous year’s estimate, according to SEC filings. Nationwide, the NRF reported that the average shrink rate for retailers climbed to 1.6% of sales in 2022. Even fractional increases represent massive financial hits for companies with billions in sales.
Analysts told CNBC that these numbers explain why retailers are investing heavily in prevention. The issue is no longer about small-scale theft but the financial health of an entire sector under siege.
The Customer Trade-Off
For shoppers, the changes are already noticeable. Social media posts show customers complaining about longer checkout times and increased security presence. Target executives acknowledged the inconvenience on the Q1 2025 earnings call but said “safety and compliance must come before speed and comfort.”
Retail experts told CNN that consumer frustration is expected but may ease as people adjust. They compared the experience to airport security, where inconvenience eventually becomes normalized if framed as essential for safety. The question is whether Target can strike the right balance.
Broader Economic Pressures
Crime isn’t the only headwind Target faces. Inflation, tariff uncertainty, and shifting consumer habits are also weighing heavily. In the Q1 2025 earnings call, CEO Brian Cornell said raising prices would be “a very last resort,” but acknowledged external pressures could eventually force difficult decisions.
Analysts told CNBC that theft-related losses compound these challenges, leaving retailers squeezed between higher costs and reduced spending. Other major chains are sounding similar alarms, pointing to an industry caught in a perfect storm of economic, political, and criminal pressures in 2025.
Tech’s Double-Edged Sword
Technology was once heralded as retail’s future, but it now represents both solution and problem. Self-checkout proved vulnerable, while surveillance cameras, AI-powered monitoring, and real-time analytics are emerging as stronger deterrents. Target is leaning into a hybrid approach, keeping technology in play but reinforcing it with human oversight.
Experts told CNN the lesson is clear: technology alone cannot solve systemic crime. Instead, it must be paired with traditional safeguards, from trained staff to physical deterrents, creating a layered defense that adapts as thieves evolve.
Impact on Communities
The closures of high-crime stores in 2023 remain a sore point in affected neighborhoods. Local officials said the decisions punished residents who relied on those stores for groceries and essentials. Target pledged to mitigate harm by offering staff transfers and reinvesting in surviving stores in its SEC filings.
Still, community advocates argue that underserved areas could again be at risk if crime pressures persist. The debate highlights how corporate responses to theft ripple beyond balance sheets, shaping daily life in communities already struggling with limited retail access.
Looking Ahead
Analysts agree Target’s crackdown won’t be temporary. As organized crime evolves, so too will retailer responses. Market watchers told CNBC they expect more legislation, technology, and deeper law enforcement partnerships in the years ahead. Some predict a future where shopping feels more like airport security—orderly but heavily monitored.
Target’s 2025 crackdown is a turning point that may define how an entire industry adapts to crime and shifting consumer expectations. What happens at Target could set the tone for American retail for years to come.
The Bottom Line
Target’s sweeping crackdown tells two stories at once: one of resilience, and one of warning. On one hand, it reflects a retailer fighting to safeguard staff, customers, and profits in an era of heightened threats. On the other hand, it reveals how fragile the modern shopping experience has become when crime, politics, and economics collide.
Whether viewed as overreach or overdue action, Target’s new policies mark a turning point in U.S. retail. They remind us that even a familiar Saturday trip to Target is being reshaped by forces far bigger than convenience.