Final answer:
High crime areas can deter customers from visiting retailers due to safety concerns and perceived risk, influenced by neighborhood conditions and exacerbated by media portrayal of crime.
Step-by-step explanation:
Social Disorganization Theory suggests that the presence of high crime areas can affect customers' willingness to visit retailers due to perceived safety concerns. The rate of property crime, influenced by factors such as poverty, ethnic heterogeneity, and residential mobility, can create an environment where residents have diminished social control. Consequently, these neighborhood variables and the presence of disorder, from graffiti to poor lighting, can generate fear and deter people from patronizing stores in those areas.
Additionally, the psychological impact and public perception of crime, often exacerbated by media portrayal, may inaccurately heighten people's fear of visiting high crime areas, regardless of actual risk levels. As various studies have indicated, well-maintained and socially cohesive neighborhoods tend to discourage crime, whereas those suffering from social disorder and economic hardships face higher criminal activity.
Therefore, retailers located in areas with recognizable signs of crime may experience a reduction in customer traffic due to safety concerns raised by potential customers, who may opt for shops in perceived safer environments.