There’s been quite a bit of news when it comes to grocery stores in Colorado as of late, especially with the ongoing trial against the Kroger and Albertsons merger.

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However, there have been a couple of different developments that have taken place as well.

For one, the land that Lucky’s Market in Fort Collins sits on recently got sold, which has raised some questions about the store’s future.

On the other hand, Windsor will soon be getting the beloved Colorado based discount grocery store, Esh’s. While little is known about when the new store will open, people are definitely starting to get pumped for the store’s low prices.

However, down in Denver, a popular grocery store is shutting down for reasons that many consider to be concerning, and may be another indicator of a problem Colorado may need to solve sooner rather than later.

Natural Grocers Closing Down Denver Location Due to Crime

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In recent years, it hasn’t been uncommon to see many different Colorado businesses go under. 

Inflation has made it really difficult for customers to be able to buy products at the rate they used to, which is hurting a lot of different stores, shops, and restaurants alike. 

So it might just feel like another drop in the bucket that the Natural Grocers location in Downtown Denver is shutting down.

Except, it’s not closing money for what you’d think.

According to the Colorado Sun, the store on Colfax and Washington is shutting down because it has experienced so much theft over the past few years that it’s no longer sustainable.

One of the co-presidents for Natural Grocers, Kemper Isley, said they had tried multiple different loss prevention strategies at this location in the past, but theft still was too prevalent for the store to sustainably operate.

Not only that, but safety concerns were also mentioned as a reason for the store to be shutting down as well.

What is Happening With Colorado’s Crime Rate?

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Over the past few years, the crime rate in Colorado has absolutely exploded.

In fact, U.S. News rated Colorado as the third most dangerous state in the entire country, with our property crime rate of 3,148 per 100,000 people being one of the highest in the nation.

When it comes to larceny and theft, we rank poorly as well, with a rate of  2,087.6 per 100,000 residents. That’s the second highest rate in the entire country, only behind Washington.

In a recent study by WalletHub, Denver rated the 161st out of 182 in terms of the safest cities in the country.

The 10 Most Dangerous Cities in Colorado for 2024

When it comes to violent and property crime in Colorado, these are the most dangerous cities in 2024.

Gallery Credit: Matt Sparx

All the Businesses Colorado Sadly Lost In This Last Year

While the list is much longer, here are some of the Colorado businesses that we were most sad to see go since 2023.

Gallery Credit: Big Rob

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