I live in Decatur, Il. and it was just announced yesterday that one of our four Kroger stores is closing at the end of this month. This store has been here since 1958, is one of the oldest in central Il., and has produced thousands of jobs over time. Currently, 93 workers will be displaced. Upon doing a little research, I've discovered that Kroger is closing many stores all over the country. Here's my point:
These closings are all happening to stores that are both underperforming in bottom line and overrun by shoplifting. They're mostly in inner city areas where the poverty and crime are rampant. The stores that have survived (so far) have begun closing at night to stave off this shrink, and there has been found a direct corelation between these facts.
So Walmart is not alone in this new retail frontier we all face, and it's not just net shopping causing it.