The decline of the retail store

Over the past year, there have been numerous articles about the destructive nature of retail theft.  Clothier, jewelry, pharmacy and grocery stores have been raided by individuals and gangs openly seeking to  steal.  In Democrat “governed” cities, almost nothing is done to either stop the theft or incarcerate the thieves.  Thus, it falls to the store to protect itself.

Stores around the country have hired armed security and installed cameras.  Jewelry stores and pharmacies have created locked security areas to protect and even hide their most valued items.  If theft continues, unprofitable stores close permanently.   (Unfortunately, too many local governments seem to be sympathetic to the thieves.  Apparently. reparations for past and present grievances is the excuse for lack of protection against crime.  In addition, the police are not dependable thanks to “defund the police” budget cuts.)

Recently, I read about a Giant grocery store in Southeast D.C.  As with other retail establishments in Democrat run cities, they are constantly being robbed.  However, the response of the Giant management caught my attention.  They no longer stock name brand health, beauty and household essentials.  (The manager of the Giant grocery stated that Tide literally disappeared from the shelves within a couple hours.  Tide, therefore, was costly and contributed nothing to the grocery store profits.)

Apparently, this Giant now only stocks “sustainable” store brands or “low theft” name brands.  This is an interesting tactic because it directly impacts grocery suppliers like Procter and Gamble.  “High theft” suppliers now sell less of their name brand goods.  They also make less profit when producing store brands.  The suppliers are partially paying for the grocery store theft.

To further stem the thievery, Giant has implemented a policy where nobody can leave the grocery without presenting a receipt for a “purchase”.  But if an armed guard can’t detain a thief, and caught thieves are simply turned back into the streets, what is accomplished?  If nothing works to stem theft, then shutdown is the only option.  (Because of Democrat government malfeasance, retail services for the most poverty stricken areas suffer.)

I have often wondered why ancient cities collapsed.  Apparently once thriving cities disappeared into the desert or the rain forest never to be inhabited again.  Issues like lack of water, lost land fertility, outbreak of disease, a sudden natural disaster, and warfare are blamed.  But what about cultural decline?

When I look at video of San Francisco, I see drugged out homeless, out of control criminal youth, and a democrat run government disconnected from a productive culture.  None of this has an environmental cause, and warfare is not involved, but this city is definitely in decay and decline.  Will San Francisco and other democrat run cities fall into complete disrepair and even become uninhabitable?

It ought to be obvious that if the unproductive govern and are allowed to prosper, then destruction and desolation will follow.