IPO have accredited subscriber placement, usually banks.
Shorting is a borrowed trade, shares are borrowed and sold to the public or other banks who hedge out the position using options. Ultimately the bag holder is anyone but the two banks.
I guess it just seems like you're implying the two banks single-handedly can ruin the 98 retailers, when you're implying there's an entire other third party that will also be responsible, so the sinister example seems flawed.