The Communist experiment fails literally everywhere it is attempted. The city of Portland, Oregon is no different. Since the George Floyd riots of 2020, the city has spiraled into a crime-ridden liberal hellscape.
In Portland, violent crime as well as petty theft is through the roof. It is so bad that some retailers have closed up shop, as they are sick of losing merchandise to shoplifters, and the city and police doing nothing about it. The latest retailer to “peace out” of Portland? Walmart. When you run Walmart out of town, your community has issues. Outkick reports:
Walmart announced it is permanently closing its final two stores in Portland, Oregon, where waves of shoplifting continue to plague retailers across the city.
The company cites financial reasons for the closures. CEO Doug McMillon recently warned the retailer was experiencing a spike in “shrink,” an industry term for losses related to in-store theft or fraud.
“Theft is an issue. It’s higher than what it has historically been,” McMillon told CNBC in December.
“I think local law enforcement being staffed and being a good partner is part of that equation. … If that’s not corrected over time, prices will be higher, and/or stores will close.”
What is the point of trying to run a brick and mortar business when your bricks are being vandalized and your mortar is being stolen? For Walmart, there is no point. If the City of Portland can’t or won’t fully staff the police, and actually enforce the laws, then Walmart will take their ball and go home. Or back to China, considering that’s where most of their stuff comes from.
Who does it hurt for big business like Walmart to bug out of the city? It hurts the residents, many of whom count on being able to get household staples for reasonable prices. It certainly doesn’t hurt Walmart. They can leave and continue the infection of small town America and not miss a beat. The employees and locals that count on the store however, lose bigly. Outkick continued:
Lax crime policies in the city have caused other stores to shutter, several of which have cited crime specifically.
In November, a clothing shop called Rains PDX permanently shut down amid a string of break-ins that “left the store financially gutted,” reports Fox Business. The store owner posted a note on the doors slamming the city for the crime rates that led to the closing of the business.
“Our city is in peril,” read the note. “Small businesses (and large) cannot sustain doing business, in our city’s current state.
“We have no protection, or recourse, against the criminal behavior that goes unpunished. Do not be fooled into thinking that insurance companies cover losses. We have sustained 15 break-ins … we have not received any financial reimbursement since the 3rd.”
A company simply cannot continue to do business when they sustain loss after loss. Even a company that sells cheap Chinese junk like Walmart can’t simply afford to give away stuff.
Even smaller stores are going under or out of town. The city thinks they are being progressive or woke when in fact they are doing everyone involved a disservice. Outkick concludes:
Elsewhere, Nike asked city officials for permission to post off-duty police officers at the location before closing. Another Nike store in Portland recently closed shop after a flurry of shoplifting incidents.
The Portland news outlet KGW reports that shoplifting incidents have also beset local Home Depots and Targets.
Jeremy Girard of the Oregon Retail Crime Association estimates that the worst-affected stores in the city were losing as much as $5 million per year to theft.
The year 2022 proved historic for Portland. In addition to its theft rates, the city set an all-time high in homicide.
Portland is mayhem. Businesses can’t afford to stay open. Violence bedevils the streets. The city is without a Walmart.
Good times in the Pacific Northwest. You can’t go to Walmart, Nike is hiding in their store, Home Depot and Target are looking over their shoulders. You can’t even go to K Mart without getting shot, and K Mart is gone, much like life in Portland.
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