New York City is suffering a retail catastrophe, with 11.2% of storefronts empty — nearly twice the 6% of 2019. Oswald Feliz, a Democratic member of the City Council representing District 15 in The Bronx and chair of the Small Business Committee, says the city and state must take action to stanch the bleeding — particularly on the scourge of retail theft.
New Yorkers work hard, and none harder than first-time small-business owners.
These are individuals who spend long days and long nights away from their family, filled with excitement and pride about owning their own shop.
They toil not only to achieve economic stability but also to open new doors and opportunities for their children.
When I speak with these small-business owners, they always raise one insidious problem that is threatening their ability to stay afloat: retail theft.
The reasons for retail theft are many.
We must sympathize and treat with compassion those that, for example, engage in theft because they are hungry.
I’ve spoken with countless bodega and small-restaurant owners, and they’ve consistently stated they would never deny basic necessities to someone in that position.
Struggling
Many of these small-business owners have faced economic instability before, and know what struggle looks like.
But the real and escalating threat is the small number of individuals who engage in theft simply because they know they can get away with it.
Those that enter bodegas and retail stores and walk away with all of the high-ticket items, which they then resell.
After they get away with it, they become emboldened, and then do it again and again.
Before you know it, the business will have a “going out of business” sign at the front.
Would you feel comfortable opening a business in a community facing this challenge?
Would it even be possible for a business to stay afloat under these circumstances?
How will employee salaries be paid if there are no products to sell, and why would consumers even enter your business if the shelves are empty?
We cannot accept a system where individuals are allowed to vandalize the hard work of small-business owners — and make a profit by doing so.
There must be deterrence and accountability.
‘Unacceptable’
The issue of burglaries also deserves attention.
In February, a bodega in The Bronx was broken into, and the owner lost over $100,000 in cash.
Just imagine how many days and months that owner spent away from his family to save up that amount.
Just think about the plans and dreams he had with those funds — including potentially expanding his business.
And then, from one second to the next, his savings are gone.
That is unacceptable.
Recently, I introduced the Small Business Protection Act to provide grants that would help small businesses cover security-related expenses such as cameras, plexiglass and alarms to help deter unlawful conduct.
I’m also grateful that Governor Hochul has made the matter a priority, and has taken new measures at the state level to protect retail businesses and workers.
The benefits that small businesses bring to our communities are countless.
We must stand up for them now, before those empty storefronts become a blight we cannot stop.