If progressivism prevails, we may have to go without benefits of civilization that have been taken for granted for centuries. Stores are an example.

From the moonbattery-addled Seattle area:

Kroger announced its plans to permanently close two more grocery stores, one in Kent and one in Everett…

The stores belong to Kroger’s Fred Meyer subsidiary.

Kroger noted that the closures could affect approximately 360 workers from both stores.

A Fred Meyer spokesperson explains why the closures were necessary:

“Unfortunately, due to a steady rise in theft and a challenging regulatory environment that adds significant costs, we can no longer make these stores financially viable.”

Rampant theft and malicious hyperregulation are among the most conspicuous consequences of liberal rule.

No worries. After grocery stores have been forced to close, leftists like Brandon Johnson and Zohran Mamdani can provide us with government grocery stores. On the downside, these will fail — as in Kansas City.

At least Bed Bath & Beyond is making a comeback. Not in California though:

Marcus Lemonis, executive chairman of Bed Bath & Beyond, released a scathing letter about how California has made business conditions miserable.

“We will not open or operate retail stores in California,” Lemonis bluntly wrote. …

[Lemonis] called California one of the most “overregulated, expensive, and risky environments” for American businesses that makes it difficult to employ people and keep doors open.

Until recently, shoplifting was effectively legal in the erstwhile Golden State. Proposition 36 curtailed the prolonged looting spree by making shoplifting a felony, but hyperregulation and excessive taxation continue to suffocate businesses under single-party Democrat rule.

On tips from DCGere and WDS 2.0.