The victim is the public because they bear the cost of constant police engagement in Walmart, costs that Wallmart is trying to offload to balloon their bottom line even more

Exactly what Im saying. Plus robberies, rapes, and/or murders if violent thugs see Walmart as a free for all with low risk of conviction due to corporate apathy. Article indicated it was already happening. Does in worst parts of our larger city when security investments are weak.

The "victim" increased the crime intentionally to make more money. The cost of dealing with the increase was shouldered to taxpayers. They also were put at increased risk of physical harm. I think that means there's two victims: Walmart and taxpayers. That's why the one city declared Walmart a nuisance. They weren't allowed to externalize their problem onto others for free anymore. Once economics changed, suddenly Walmart decided it knew how to reduce crime. Which it did.