Let’s check in on the blue state retail environment.
After blue state legislators and prosecutors (we use the terms loosely) legalized shoplifting the commercial district (in those states) has drastically changed.
One of the new developments won’t be Amazon.com opening any more fully automated, no employees, self-checkout stores.
It would make more sense for Amazon to save on overhead and just stack opened boxes on the sidewalk with a tip jar nearby.
Only the tip jar would be stolen, too.
But wait!
Breaking news!
Retail Dive informs us that Amazon has "closed its Amazon Go location at 5th Avenue and Marion Street in Seattle.
"The location opened in August 2018 and was the second store to open under Amazon’s frictionless c-store brand. So far, 2023 has been a tough year for Amazon Go.
"This closure comes about three and a half months after the company announced it would be closing eight of its automated-checkout convenience stores — two each in Seattle and New York City and four in San Francisco."
In these particular instances "frictionless" means smooth sailing for thieves.
You will also note all the closed locations are in areas heavy on "social justice" and very light on plan old, regular justice.
It’s distressing that retail reparations are spreading from the two coasts into more inland areas. Giant Food is a regional grocery store where your author formerly shopped with 165 stores in D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware.
At that time shopping was a mostly pleasant experience. Except for the time store management decided to locate the flu shot stand next to the fish market.
Shoplifting is now so bad that Fox found management has taken steps that include: "limiting store entrances, hiring security guards, restricting the number of items at self-checkout stands, putting fewer high-value items on shelves and securing razor blades in containers that make noise if opened."
That last sounds like the alarm we installed on our wallet.
"Company President Ira Kress said he's seen theft rise at least 'tenfold in the last five years' and violence increase 'exponentially.'
"He hopes these measures will help keep stores open, even if they inconvenience shoppers."
We’re sure customers will soon get used to entering the grocery store through an airlock like those found at high-end jewelry stores.
"The alternative is worse for customers, Kress explains.
"The last thing I want to do is close stores. But I’ve got to be able to run them safely and profitably."
A Whole Foods store in Scat Francisco closed after less than a year due to shoplifting.
"A former worker at the recently closed Whole Foods in downtown San Francisco also said in the report that they had taken measures to combat shoplifting, like moving high-end merchandise to the back of the store.
"However, the well-known grocery chain has temporarily closed its flagship store due to safety concerns. Records show that more than 500 emergency phone calls were made by workers at the store, who were routinely threatened with violence by vagrants."
This is what happens when idiots legalize drug addict colonization of the streets, adopt no bail policies and raise the felony limit on shoplifting.
Had they wanted to create chaos, endanger law-abiding citizens and run businesses out of town they would not have acted much differently.
It’s enough to make voters require an IQ test or loyalty oath for politicians.
Kress gets angry when these same politicians attack retailers for closing stores.
"It’s laughable for any of our politicians — and I’ve offered to meet and talk with any of them — to be ignorant to what’s going on in their communities, in their jurisdictions, with their constituents," Kress said. "And for politicians to blame businesses . . . for leaving is embarrassing."
We’ll believe in an embarrassed politician when we see one.
It would be easy to feel some sympathy for Kress, but we would have to take a gander at his political contribution reports and his voting record.
If he voted for leftists, he’s reaping what he’s sown.
Like Obama said, elections have consequences.
Now to answer an earlier question regarding how legalizing shoplifting changes the marketplace. In most instances it closes the marketplace.
Michael Reagan, the eldest son of President Reagan, is a Newsmax TV analyst. A syndicated columnist and author, he chairs The Reagan Legacy Foundation. Michael is an in-demand speaker with Premiere speaker's bureau. Read Michael Reagan's Reports — More Here.
Michael R. Shannon is a commentator, researcher for the League of American Voters, and an award-winning political and advertising consultant with nationwide and international experience. He is author of "Conservative Christian's Guidebook for Living in Secular Times (Now with added humor!)" Read Michael Shannon's Reports — More Here.