If the stores comply it sets a very bad precedent. All the other workers in other company stores will want the pay and that may lead to lawsuits and other labor problems. It also means the municipality can arbitrarily promise raises for votes and a host of other problems for every business in the area. And, it it works in one municipality, it will spread like wildfire. My first job was at a grocery store. The manager told me it was a low margin business and the competition was cutthroat. Believe me, whatever their current wage was, it was competitive for the market or no one would be working there.
Absolutely the best thing to do is leave the area. This is what Lowe’s and Home Depot have done when special taxes were added that only effected them. For some customers those taxes meant an extra $20-30,000. So Lowe’s and Home Depot relocated just outside the tax district. This is what Walmart did when (I think it was Chicago) passed legislation that only effected them.
I heard that, too. They hope people buy made up carryout items to reheat like stew, meat loaf with potatoes and various casseroles and baked goods that produce a higher profit than most of the store aisle items.
San Diego had an anti-competitive “big box” rule that Walmart figured out how to get around so they could sell groceries.
a quick search online shows Kroger’s net profit margin at 2.29% but it’s fluctuated between 1.2% and 6%