US Walgreens plans to close 5 San Francisco stores, citing rampant shoplifting and 'organized retail crime'

Walgreens plans to close 5 San Francisco stores, citing rampant shoplifting and 'organized retail crime'​

Heather Schlitz
Tue, October 12, 2021

Walgreens is closing five of its stores in San Francisco, citing rampant shoplifting.

• Residents say the loss of the drugstores could harm the community.
• The company has struggled with shoplifting for years and has closed 10 stores in the city since 2019.

Walgreens will close five more of its San Francisco locations due to rampant shoplifting and "organized retail crime," a Walgreens spokesperson told SFGate on Tuesday.

"Organized retail crime continues to be a challenge facing retailers across San Francisco, and we are not immune to that," Walgreens spokesperson Phil Caruso said. "Retail theft across our San Francisco stores has continued to increase in the past few months to five times our chain average."

Walgreens locations in San Francisco have struggled with shoplifting for years, and ten Walgreens locations have been closed in the city since 2019. Community members said one closure left seniors, disabled residents, and low-income residents without a convenient local drugstore to go to, with the next closest location not being accessible to those with disabilities, according to a Change.org petition.

"During this time to help combat this issue, we increased our investments in security measures in stores across the city to 46 times our chain average in an effort to provide a safe environment," Caruso said.

Caruso also said patients' prescriptions will be transferred to nearby stores.
In October, 2020, one Walgreens location closed after saying it lost $1,000 in stolen merchandise every day.

"I am completely devastated by this news - this Walgreens is less than a mile from seven schools and has been a staple for seniors, families and children for decades. This closure will significantly impact this community," Ahsha Safaí, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, wrote on Twitter about the upcoming closures.
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[BullDogsLipBrandClamjuice]

womp womp

 

[Meat Target]

Blah blah get what you clown meme yadda yadda.

 

[Devyn]

I feel sorry for the innocents losing access to these convenient locations, but then remember the majority of them probably voted for the worthless assholes who enable this type of soft-on-crime bullshit in the first place and feel less bad

 

[Jet Fuel Johnny]

The same people bitching about these stores closing are the same people who bitch that security cameras are racist, that putting high value stuff that gets lifted a lot behind plastic is racist, and that security guards can't touch anyone because someone's feelings might get hurt.

Now, after they've decriminalized stealing, they're surprised that these stores don't want to operate in an environment where people steal shit.

"It hurts the community!"
You know what else hurts the community? Allowing people to rape, murder, rob, and destroy shit.

But you're fine with that.

So what's one more.

And don't whip out seniors and the disabled.

If El Wheelio can run an extortion racket, gramma can sling rock.

 

[Milwaukee Macho Man]

Escape from San Fran

 

[Walrus and Carpenter]

You reap what you sow? Oh no.

 

[totallyrandomusername]

Absolutely no one could have foreseen this. It just came out of left field!

 

[Troonos]

Niggers ruin everything they touch.

 

[Pee Cola]

Whilst closing down all the Walgreens (and other pharmacies) in the city is unrealistic, I can see it getting to a stage where a typical San Fran pharmacy consists of a counter and a window near the front of the shop (or maybe even just a hole in the wall facing the street), with all stock being behind the counter and handed to customers only after the cashier has taken payment.

Ofc there will be people claiming that this is racist, or will cause a spike in STIs due to customers needing to ask for condoms over the counter instead of stealing them taking them off the shelf and to the checkout. But given a choice between pharmacies with all merch under lock and key in one's neighbourhood or no pharmacies at all... is that really even a choice?

 

[Jet Fuel Johnny]

Whilst closing down all the Walgreens (and other pharmacies) in the area is unrealistic, I can see it getting to a stage where a typical San Fran pharmacy consists of a counter and a window near the front of the shop (or maybe even just a hole in the wall facing the street), with all stock being behind the counter and handed to customers only after the cashier has taken payment.

Ofc there will be people claiming that this is racist, or will cause a spike in STIs due to customers needing to ask for condoms over the counter instead of stealing them taking them off the shelf and taking them to the checkout. But given a choice between pharmacies with all merch under lock and key in one's neighbourhood or no pharmacies at all... is that really even a choice?

CA will pass a law preventing it, citing that it's how the Old West used to do General Stores, and because of that, it hurts black people's feelings because they once weren't allowed to freely shop in stores because people believed they stole.

Which is why you need to allow them access to your stock, because they need to steal to survive.

 

[JosephStalin]

Can't blame Walgreens. Would think other companies will also close stores. Just logical.

 

[DoomsdayElite]

 

[mr.moon1488]

Whilst closing down all the Walgreens (and other pharmacies) in the city is unrealistic, I can see it getting to a stage where a typical San Fran pharmacy consists of a counter and a window near the front of the shop (or maybe even just a hole in the wall facing the street), with all stock being behind the counter and handed to customers only after the cashier has taken payment.

Ofc there will be people claiming that this is racist, or will cause a spike in STIs due to customers needing to ask for condoms over the counter instead of stealing them taking them off the shelf and to the checkout. But given a choice between pharmacies with all merch under lock and key in one's neighbourhood or no pharmacies at all... is that really even a choice?

I said it in another thread, but if I were them I'd go to a store pick up only service. They'll likely do this, but I'll wager they'll try to blame it on the coof.

 

[Getting tard comed]

Oh no! The consequences of my actions...

 

[Kheapathic]

Someone should put a "Closing because of thieving niggers" banner outside one of the stores.

Give one act of defiance on your way out and let everyone know.

 

[Pee Cola]

I said it in another thread, but if I were them I'd go to a store pick up only service. They'll likely do this, but I'll wager they'll try to blame it on the coof.

Yeah, click and collect makes sense... until the Commiefornians claim that this discriminates against people that don't have internet access.

 

[NJBear]

 

[Renmai]

Whilst closing down all the Walgreens (and other pharmacies) in the city is unrealistic, I can see it getting to a stage where a typical San Fran pharmacy consists of a counter and a window near the front of the shop (or maybe even just a hole in the wall facing the street), with all stock being behind the counter and handed to customers only after the cashier has taken payment.

Ofc there will be people claiming that this is racist, or will cause a spike in STIs due to customers needing to ask for condoms over the counter instead of stealing them taking them off the shelf and to the checkout. But given a choice between pharmacies with all merch under lock and key in one's neighbourhood or no pharmacies at all... is that really even a choice?

They're way ahead of you, a few years back Philly passed a law that banned bullet resistant security plexiglass on large food establishments that just happened to be Asian owned. Just wait for it, security glass is gonna be racist next and will be outlawed.

 

[What the shit]

Next to leave the Bay Area? CVS!