Number of vacant NYC storefronts has nearly doubled since the pandemic: 'Creating havoc'

Only 6% of Big Apple storefronts sat empty in 2019, compared to nearly 11.2% this year, statistics from the city Department of Finance show.

The empty storefronts can lead to quality of life issues like garbage and graffiti as well as feelings of unease among residents, Councilmember Oswald Feliz, chair of the Committee on Small Business, said.

A report estimated that shoplifting cost New York state retailers $4.4 billion in 2022, spiking 64% in NYC between June 2019 and 2023.

Councilmember Vickie Paladino highlighted the shoplifting epidemic in her Queens district, mentioning incidents of kids ransacking stores on bicycles.

Read at New York Post