Walmart Closing Four Chicago Stores – Social Media Blames Crime, Walmart Blames ‘Losing Money’, Democrats Blame Walmart For Not Lowering Prices

The single largest employer on the planet, Walmart, has made the utilitarian decision to abandon four of its locations in Chicago where crime rates have continued to spike as the city moves from a radical leftist administration under Mayor Lori Lightfoot to another under far-leftist Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson.

The multi-national retailer announced that it would close four of its eight locations, keeping half open with the explanation that all eight haven’t been profitable “since we opened the first one nearly 17 years ago,” according to The Blaze.

STUNNING: WALMART SCHEDULED TO CLOSE ALL STORES IN MAJOR LIBERAL CITY FOLLOWING ANTI-COP, PRO-CRIME POLICIES

In a media release, Walmart’s PR team seemed to check several left-leaning boxes saying,

“Having an active role in the community is especially important to us. We are proud of our neighborhood investments through local events like Christmas in the Wards, the Always Giving Back Foundation Bike Giveaway, ChiGives Back MLK Day, the Bud Billiken Day Parade and more. We will continue working with local organizations, creating solutions to challenges faced by the city and country, including racial inequity and food deserts. We continue to help create and expand job opportunities and will leverage our resources to help strengthen the community, especially those underserved.”

After the virtue signaling was finished, the statement got down to brass tacks.

“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.

Over the years, we have tried many different strategies to improve the business performance of these locations, including building smaller stores, localizing product assortment and offering services beyond traditional retail.

We have 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.

It was hoped that these investments would help improve our stores’ performance. Unfortunately, these efforts have not materially improved the fundamental business challenges our stores are facing.”

While the company doesn’t explicitly state a rise in theft as a causative agent, it did cite that “annual losses nearly doubled in just the last five years.” As The Daily Mail noted, some people on social media immediately pointed to crime rates spiking in the area.

ZeroHedge noted that the company claimed “lack of sales” as the main cause for the closures.

*WALMART: THEFT, CRIME WEREN’T LEADING CAUSES OF CHICAGO MOVES

Just lack of sales

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) April 11, 2023

The Mail wrote, “To date in 2023 over 2022, thefts are up by 25 percent according to the Chicago Police Department while robberies are up 11 percent. ” The outlet further recalled that in 2022, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon issued a public warning that theft in stores around the U.S. could cause additional closings following closures on the West Coast.

The closures are not limited to Chicago either, the chain announced that stores in other states such as Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, Florida, Hawaii, New Mexico, and Arkansas are also slated for closure.

The outlet reported that Walmart is also hemorrhaging jobs in warehouse roles in Texas, Pennsylvania, Florida and New Jersey, impacting over 1,000 employees all told.

Chicago politicians such as State Senator Robert Peters and Alderman-Elect Lamont Robinson, Alderwoman Pat Dowell, Representatives Curtis Tarver and Kam Buckner, all Democrats, condemned Walmart for the closures, blaming the corporation for not lowering its prices.

I joined Alderman-Elect Lamont Robinson, Alderwoman Pat Dowell, Representatives Curtis Tarver and Kam Buckner in condemning the Walmart closures. https://t.co/LCUSYqNU0L pic.twitter.com/TLw2tyJmCy

— Robert Peters (@RobertJPeters) April 12, 2023

They wrote,

“The abrupt closure of these stores, some of which have been operating for nearly two decades, is also a cause of concern. “Closing four stores in five days, such as the Kenwood Neighborhood Market, is unethical, especially since Walmart claims these stores have not been profitable since 2006

“If Walmart cared about the community they belonged to for nearly two decades, they would have implemented strategies to combat their rising prices, the likely root cause of their decline in earnings.”

In its statement, Walmart added that all of the affected Chicago employees will be eligible to transfer to a Walmart or Sam’s Club location and will be paid until Aug. 11, 2023. Those unable to transfer will receive severance. The four locations will close permanently on April 16th, with their pharmacies remaining open for up to 30 days to allow patients to relocate prescriptions.

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