What is happening in Midtown? (Ann Arbor, Troy: sales, how much, hotel)

[zthatzmanz28]

I work in Midtown (Mack and John R) so I get to see quite a bit. Fortunately, much of what I see is exciting and uplifting! Th rent-a-bikes, the new and modern redo on Cass with the bike lanes is wonderful!

Midtown is coming into its own and should be one of he best and safest places in the otherwise out of control city.

So imagine (there has to be a pun here somewhere) my dismay as I walked into Wholefoods yesterday for lunch and saw TWO ARMED GUARDS at the door and a ANOTHER inside...

Now none were exactly para-military, in fact they all looked like even I, at 57 and 250 pounds could even out run them...

So I asked the service desk what was with the guns..they said IT'S MIDTOWN, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN...

So, what am I missing? Is Midtown REALLY that scary an dangerous that Wholefoods need 3 ARMED guards to protect some produce?

[Retroit]

Maybe they are trying to deter shoplifters?

[zthatzmanz28]

Originally Posted by Retroit

Maybe they are trying to deter shoplifters?

3 of them with 9mm Glocks??

How much product is the store losing of it is worth 3 armed guards qt $150 an hours each???

[djmilf]

Originally Posted by zthatzmanz28

3 of them with 9mm Glocks??

How much product is the store losing of it is worth 3 armed guards qt $150 an hours each???

That's a $300K annual salary for each armed guard.

Either you're slightly off on your number, or I'm in the wrong business.

[craig11152]

Originally Posted by zthatzmanz28

3 of them with 9mm Glocks??

How much product is the store losing of it is worth 3 armed guards qt $150 an hours each???

How do you know they were 9mm Glocks?
How do you know they cost $150 an hour each?

[Coldjensens]

When you contract you pay a lot more than you do for an employee. We pay $300 for an expert scheduling consultant. They get about $96. So at $150,000/ year the guard might be getting $50 - 60 an hour. Assuming that is a correct number.

I would think having armed guards there woud scare more people off than provide some benefit. They will lose more in sales becuase people go shop in Troy than they will to shoplifting. Maybe they were robbed?

[craig11152]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

I would think having armed guards there woud scare more people off than provide some benefit. They will lose more in sales becuase people go shop in Troy than they will to shoplifting. Maybe they were robbed?

Interesting thought. Armed guards wouldn't scare me off. They might instill some comfort.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by craig11152

Interesting thought. Armed guards wouldn't scare me off. They might instill some comfort.

IF I walk into store and see armed guards, or for that matter, double plexi or plate glass protecting a cashier, I tend to turn around and leave. Either one indicates the ownership anticipates shooting occurring in their store. If you do not anticipate the possibility or probability of them needing to shoot someone, you do not have armed guards. It is not that far to drive to go someplace else.

[craig11152]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

IF I walk into store and see armed guards, or for that matter, double plexi or plate glass protecting a cashier, I tend to turn around and leave. Either one indicates the ownership anticipates shooting occurring in their store. If you do not anticipate the possibility or probability of them needing to shoot someone, you do not have armed guards. It is not that far to drive to go someplace else.

When I get in my car I fasten my seatbelt but I don't anticipate a crash. I have smoke alarms in my house but I don't anticipate a house fire. When I get a colonoscopy I'm not anticipating cancer. In all those cases I'm taking precautions against an unlikely event. I think there is a difference between being prepared for an unlikely event and anticipating it will happen. Perhaps I'm playing a game of semantics.
But semantics aside Whole Foods is generally a well run organization. Each store is visited several times a year from corporate headquarters and those sorts of decisions are not made lightly or with little thought. They also aren't made at the local level without making a strong case to corporate. I know these things because my oldest daughter worked in management at Whole Foods in Ann Arbor for several years. Coincidentally or perhaps ironically she is now a cop.
So if they have armed guards they clearly think it is a sound business decision.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by craig11152

When I get in my car I fasten my seatbelt but I don't anticipate a crash. I have smoke alarms in my house but I don't anticipate a house fire. When I get a colonoscopy I'm not anticipating cancer. In all those cases I'm taking precautions against an unlikely event. I think there is a difference between being prepared for an unlikely event and anticipating it will happen. Perhaps I'm playing a game of semantics.
But semantics aside Whole Foods is generally a well run organization. Each store is visited several times a year from corporate headquarters and those sorts of decisions are not made lightly or with little thought. They also aren't made at the local level without making a strong case to corporate. I know these things because my oldest daughter worked in management at Whole Foods in Ann Arbor for several years. Coincidentally or perhaps ironically she is now a cop.
So if they have armed guards they clearly think it is a sound business decision.

If you have installed a racing harness that you hire someone to buckle you into. - I am going to want out of your car. (Unless it is a race car at a track - then I am driving).

If I go visit you at your house and there are armed guards standing on your porch, I am leaving. I do not care if it is "just a precaution." If you feel your house is such a dangerous place you need armed guards, I do not want to be there.

If I go to to a hotel, and they have three pump trucks and a hook and ladder truck on standby in the parking lot - "just to be safe." I would look for another hotel.

It is all a matter of extreme for the situation. If I got to a concert and the place is swarming with SWAT teams or riot police, I will probably leave. I do not care if it is said to be "just a precaution" It tells me they are expecting trouble that I do not want to be mixed up in. OTOH if I find five regular policemen watching the crowd, that is not terribly surprising. It is a level of security level commensurate with the level of risk I expect at a concert. A swat team with automatic weapons is not.

They may be making a sound decision that they need armed guards in their store. If that is the case, I do not want to go into their store. If they put armed guards in their store, they put them there for a reason. I will go to a store that does not need armed guards, even if it means I have to drive 10 minutes or so further I enjoy driving anyway, especially when it allows me to postpone shopping.

If they do not actually need armed guards and are being overcautious that creates its own problems. What are they overreacting to? It is obvious the armed guards think they need to be there, and that they need to be armed. What are they looking for? What are they expecting? What is their training? Are they going to shoot me if I pull my cell phone out of my pocket too quickly?

Extreme precautions indicate expectations of an extreme situation. Three armed security guards at a grocery store is extreme. It says they are expecting big trouble - involving shooting. Not worth it. Kroger can sell me some Kale without any guns involved.

You do not go to Kroger or Mejiers an find armed guards on patrol. At least I don't.

I am pretty sure I am not alone. Most people I know would make a beeline back to their car if they went to buy groceries and found armed guards all over the place.