From February 3, 2021 Press of Atlantic City Article by Michelle Brunetti.  Click here for full article:  Boarded up windows at Columbia Sportswear anger Atlantic City officials | Local News | pressofatlanticcity.com

Boarded up windows at Columbia Sportswear anger Atlantic City officials

ATLANTIC CITY — The Columbia Sportswear store at Tanger Outlets The Walk has its windows completely boarded up even as it remains open for business, as a theft prevention measure.

“Thieves broke into the store three times in four weeks. Each time, city government response was sluggish and did not give us confidence that it was willing to take measures to keep businesses and shoppers safe,” a Columbia Sportswear corporate spokesperson said Tuesday. “We had to take precautionary measures to protect ourselves from further criminal activity.”

“It looks bad in addition to being a public safety hazard,” Councilman Kaleem Shabazz said at the Jan. 27 council meeting. “And right as you come into the city — that’s crazy.”

The spokesperson said the break-ins were Nov. 20, Dec. 11 and Dec. 20.  “We repaired the glass each time,” she said. The spokesperson also said Columbia would “welcome any suggestions from political leaders as to how they could assist us in protecting the property.”

News reports from around the nation have described how Columbia stores have been looted, damaged, boarded up and closed either permanently or temporarily due to rioting in cities like Portland and Seattle. The Seattle outlet store remained boarded up after a May 30 looting, and in September it closed permanently.

Like most retail stores, business for the chain has been down during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to national business reports. In the third quarter last year, Columbia reported net sales decreased 23% to $701.1 million compared to the same quarter of 2019 and announced the closure of some stores nationwide.

“We are working with them,” Walk manager Donna Danielson said when asked if her organization, as the property owner, has the right to remove the plywood.

Council President George Tibbitt said a couple of other stores have small areas of boarded windows covering window breaks, but no other store has gone as far as Columbia.  He is working with the city’s legal department and other employees to craft an ordinance to prevent stores from boarding up as a theft deterrent, he said.

“For convenience stores, the law says how much window can be covered. When the cops drive by, they have got to be able to see in,” Tibbitt said. “This is completely covered. I’m not buying The Walk isn’t responsible. It’s their building.”