San Francisco & Chicago’s Louis Vuitton Stores Were Left Empty After Ransackings

During the past weeks, several Louis Vuitton stores in Chicago and San Francisco got robbed by groups of people who rushed into the stores and within minutes managed to steal merchandise worth over $100,000.

Videos showing vandalism and looting inside the stores have gone viral and were shared widely across social media.

Here’s the list describing the events, starting with the latest robberies.

San Francisco

On Friday, November 19, shortly after 8 p.m., a group of masked thieves ransacked the Louis Vuitton store located in Union Square. More than a dozen thieves took from the store clothes and bags, quickly running away from the scene.

Videos made by bystanders show damaged store windows and empty shelves inside.

Police have arrested at least six suspects, implying that these people may have targeted more stores to ransack.

That night, police kept getting reports about occurring vandalism from other retail stores as well. According to their report, thieves also hit nearby stores Fendi and Yves Saint Laurent.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the only incident happening in this area.

On Saturday night, just one day after the Louis Vuitton store looting, 80 people were involved in the so-called “smash-and-grab” incident in a Nordstrom department store in Walnut Creek, CA.

Police in Walnut Creek, a suburb area 25 miles east of San Francisco, began to receive calls around 9 p.m., regarding the crowds entering the store and stealing merchandise.

Thieves were seen running away with stolen items, getting into at least ten cars waiting for them outside. Police managed to stop one of the cars and arrest two people, one of them possessing a firearm. The third suspect who was found with stolen items nearby the scene was arrested as well.

According to Yahoo News, “Officials said two store employees were assaulted and one was pepper-sprayed.”

The estimated value of stolen items is not known yet.

During the last months, several stores in the San Francisco area needed to close their door permanently due to their inability to deal with increasing organized retail thefts across the city.

Chicago

On Wednesday, November 17, 14 people ran into the Louis Vuitton store in Chicago’s Oak Brook Center and stole merchandise with a minimum retail value of $100,000 (¥719,000).

The police department in The Oak Brook Center got a report from mall security shortly after 3:30 p.m., announcing that several people were grabbing items from the store’s shelves and running away.

The statement says that while the armed guard went on a short break, 14 people stepped into the store one by one. Once all of them were inside, they pulled out trash bags they held in their coats and started to fill them with LV merchandise.

After the incident, all 14 people drove away in three separate cars.

People witnessing the scene were shocked, as this area is known as a safe place where kids usually play outside in the streets.

Again, this wasn’t the only theft happening in this area. Earlier this month, just 30 miles away, robbers targeted another Louis Vuitton store.

In the Northbrook Court Mall, 13 thieves stole merchandise worth $100,000 and fled the area in three getaway cars. This happened on Monday, November 1, around 12:50 p.m., when people wearing gloves and masks went into the stores and took several items.

Criminals didn’t display any weapons and drove away from the crime scene without leaving someone injured.

Although police aren’t sure whether the crimes are connected, they implied there are many similarities.

The identical incident happened in the same store on October 5, when eight men at 6:45 p.m. got into the Northbrook Court Louis Vuitton store and stole bags and luggage worth $66,000.

Hopefully, there won’t be any more crimes happening in the stores so people can enjoy Christmas shopping without any restrictions.

About Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton Malletier, publicly known as Louis Vuitton (LV), is a French luxury goods company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton.

The company belongs to the leading international fashion houses and was named the world’s most valuable luxury brand for six consecutive years, 2006-2012.

Due to its popularity and luxurious image, Louis Vuitton is one of the most counterfeited fashion brands.

The company has more than 460 stores operating in 50 countries, with yearly revenue of €14 billion (as of 2020).

LV fashion house produces each season rare and limited edition bags that are usually available only by reservation through large Louis Vuitton stores. The average price of the LV bag moves in between $1,000 and $6,000.

The iconic bags from this brand include the Neverfull bag and the Speedy bag.