Lululemon closes another DC store amid string of thefts
Another popular clothing store is closing in the District - after being targeted by thieves time and time again.
The Lululemon location on 14th Street NW will have its last day on Sunday, July 21.
The chain won't confirm if the closure is crime-related - but the announcement seems to come after several Lululemon stores in D.C. were hit by criminals this week.
Surveillance video captured clear images of the thieves - one wearing a pink baseball cap, another woman with polka dot shoes, a woman with braided buns, and a shirtless man in bright blue shorts.
Thousands of dollars of merchandise were stolen early Wednesday from the location that is shutting down, right after it opened for the day.
And in the next two hours, the Georgetown and Penn Quarter stores were targeted as well.
All sorts of things were stolen from hats and boxers to shorts and shirts.
According to the National Retail Federation, retail crime is escalating throughout the country, not just here in the DMV.
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Last year, retailers reported $112 billion in losses, up from $93 billion in 2021.
And those losses are often passed down to consumers.
"I'm sure companies are trying to get back what they are losing by raising prices, right?" said one Lululemon shopper Thursday morning. "So that's definitely frustrating when people who are the ones buying it legally are going to be the ones punished for these people's crimes."
Back in December, FOX 5 reported the Navy Yard location closed down abruptly.
Lululemon closes Navy Yard location after recent robbery
A major retailer has shut its doors at its Navy Yard location in Southeast, D.C.
And in Arlington two weeks ago, thieves hit the Lululemon store twice in just one day, stealing thousands of pricey athletic wear.
Arlington Police said they are still investigating, haven't made any arrests - and are working to find out if all of these cases are connected.
We spoke with a retail industry expert who explained why - post-Covid - we are seeing such a spike in these types of crimes.
Khristopher Hamlin, VP of Asset Protection with the Retail Industry Leaders Association, said much of it has to do with how much our shopping shifted online during and after the pandemic.
"When you think about this, online platforms allow for bad actors to sell goods quickly, anonymously and almost at the full price as if you were walking into a retail store," Hamlin said. "The ability for bad actors to be able to do that, this is where those theft rings, those theft cycles and the uptick continues to go. Especially like what Lululemon carries, those goods are easily sold online."
Hamlin said that retailers can't just carry the burden of security themselves by hiring more guards - police and prosecutors have to work together to curb crime.
On Thursday, the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) and the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) announced the launch of their 2024 Store Walk Initiative, a unique approach to tackling organized retail crime, habitual theft, and its impact on communities.
D.C. did pass legislation this spring that increases the penalty for organized retail theft - that is, if and when the thieves are caught.
According to crime data from MPD, theft is down two percent from this time last year - but there have still been more than 6,500 incidents reported.