You can have legalized shoplifting or discount stores. But you can’t have both.
I like 99-cent stores. Growing up, money was always tight and with the disappearance of the old New York City budget department stores like Alexander’s and Mays (not to mention Woolworth’s), they filled a vital retail niche. California’s 99-cent stores were even better than their New York counterparts like Jack’s even if their closeout stores were inferior.
The pandemic wrecked 99-cent stores quickly enough. So did the inflation. But the one thing I spotted repeatedly at dollar stores was the casual shoplifting. California had led the way in effectively legalizing shoplifting.
And while inflation and the general impact of Pandenomics and Bidenomics get some of the blame, no one is talking much about theft.
The shutdown of the 99 Cent Only Stores chain is getting a lot of attention, but the missing link here is that it’s a chain that was founded in LA, with a lot of stores in California where shoplifting is really not a crime anymore if you steal under a certain amount.
99 cent stores are a perfect target.
The 99 Cent Only Stores people mentioned theft as one of the reasons for the shutdown. Combined with insane labor costs, much of the credit for the shutdown really ought to go to California Democrats.
You can have legalized shoplifting or discount stores. But you can’t have both.
Article posted with permission from Daniel Greenfield
The post You Can’t Legalize Shoplifting & Keep 99 Cent Stores appeared first on The Washington Standard.
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