Discount chains are thriving, but what do they do to poor communities?

Re:Discount chains are thriving, but what do they do to poor... by austhrow743 on Tuesday June 30, 2020 @02:44AM (#23687320)

Externalities are costs of doing business that you the business don't directly pay. Their point seems pretty straight forward to me. What part of it is confusing?

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Re:Discount chains are thriving, but what do they do to poor... by core-questions on Tuesday June 30, 2020 @02:52AM (#23687369)

Could you maybe just restate it? How are stolen items costs that businesses "don't directly pay"?

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Re:Discount chains are thriving, but what do they do to poor... by CharlesHorsey on Tuesday June 30, 2020 @03:14AM (#23687505)

OP said:

> "Shrink" is of course accounted for in the economics, but not worker and customer safety, which is externalized as violence and loss in the communities.

So they're saying that the business does pay the cost of stolen items ("shrink") but not the cost of the violence, which is borne by its victims.

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Re:Discount chains are thriving, but what do they do to poor... by austhrow743 on Tuesday June 30, 2020 @03:15AM (#23687508)

The stolen items are costs. The violence to staff and customers are externalities.

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