(Robert Jonathan, Headline USA) Walmart has decided to shut down four of its eight Chicago stores effective on Sunday, a decision that came on the heels of Democrats tapping the crime-riddled city as their 2024 convention site.
In the context of the underperforming stores, a Walmart rep told the Wall Street Journal that “there was no single cause for the increase in losses and that theft wasn’t a driving factor.”
That assessment could perhaps be public relations spin, however, given the ongoing crime wave in the Windy City, similar to what is occurring in many of America’s lawless municipalities in the grip of far-left Democrats.
In a statement about its “difficult decision” that sought to explain the abrupt location closures, and that did not mention shoplifting or any other form of wrongdoing for the red ink, Walmart corporate suggested that consolidation may provide a solution:
“The simplest explanation is that collectively our Chicago stores have not been profitable since we opened the first one nearly 17 years ago – these stores lose tens of millions of dollars a year, and their annual losses nearly doubled in just the last five years. The remaining four Chicago stores continue to face the same business difficulties, but we think this decision gives us the best chance to help keep them open and serving the community.”
Walmart also noted that it has “invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the city, including $70 million in the last couple years to upgrade our stores and build two new Walmart Health facilities and a Walmart Academy training center,” but that costly commitment along with other “different strategies” failed to alter the fiscal trajectory.
Unfortunately, help is not on the way for Chicago.
Through the efforts of the public sector union machine, Chicago just elected a radical socialist Democrat as the city’s mayor who appears to be even more soft on crime than his predecessor Lori Lightfoot.
Perhaps reflective of the extreme ideological direction of the party, Democrats have selected Chicago as the host city for their 2024 national convention where Joe Biden (or someone else) will be named as their presidential nominee.
Unironically, DNC Chair Jaime Harrison said that “I am thrilled that Democrats will take the stage in Chicago to share our party’s vision and values.”
Democrats also claim that the Chicago event aims to “showcase President Biden’s economic agenda.”
Walmart, America’s largest department store chain, previously implemented store closures elsewhere across the country. This included closing its two Portland, Ore., stores. To date, about 20 of its stores nationwide have ceased or will cease doing business.
In a related development, Whole Foods announced earlier this week that it is closing down its flagship, downtown San Francisco shop after opening its doors just a year ago. A Whole Foods spokesperson alluded to the possibility of reopening the store, if the public safety situation improves.
Walmart employees at the shuttered Chicago retail outlets will receive four months’ pay after which severance benefits will kick in if they haven’t found work at another Wall Mart or Sam’s Club.
