“It has shocked me that one of the primary concerns that our retail partners have is their own personal safety,” Schultz admitted. “And then we heard the stories that go along with it about what happens in our bathrooms, the issue of mental illness, the issue of homelessness, and the issue of crime.”
Schultz also said more closures are likely to happen. “We have stores in every community, and we are facing things… the stores were not built for. We are listening to our people and closing stores.”
Schultz also blamed political leaders who have allowed crime to overtake our nation’s cities. “At the local, state, and federal level, these governments across the country, and leaders — mayors and governors, city councils — have abdicated their responsibility in fighting crime and addressing mental illness,” Schultz said. “Despite the challenges of COVID and post-COVID, and the changes in customer behavior… the demand for Starbucks coffee by our customers, domestically and around the world, has never been greater.”
He may not have called them out specifically, but look at where the current closures are: Seattle, Los Angeles, Portland, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.—these are all Democrat-run cities, and Democrats nationwide have become increasingly soft on crime since the death of George Floyd in 2020. Leftist district attorneys are no longer prosecuting shoplifters and have eliminated cash bail. Woke policies created the mess that Starbucks is now paying for. I don’t mean to sound vindictive, but it feels like Starbucks is getting what it deserves.