Closures Ahead for Walgreens: Shoplifting a problem for local Riverside Walgreens
Earlier this summer, Walgreens Boots Alliance, the multinational holding company that owns Walgreens in the United States and Boots in the United Kingdom, announced it would be closing 450 locations in the United States and the UK.
Of those closures, 150 of them will occur in the United States.
Several media outlets reported the announcement of the closures, which supposedly came during the company’s most recent earnings conference call.
A June 30 article published by Bisnow National reported these closures are part of the company’s cost-cutting efforts as Walgreens reported reduced consumer demand in “Covid-related products” and inconsistent consumer spending during its third fiscal quarter.
The Bisnow article quoted Walgreens CEO Roz Brewer as stating during the earnings call, “We had called out Covid as a wild card heading into the quarter and have unfortunately seen less patient willingness to vaccinate.”
The announcement of these closures comes amid additional reports regarding issues of theft and shoplifting at various Walgreens across the country. Last month, several media outlets reported on a San Francisco Walgreens whose employees had resorted to putting chains on its freezer doors to deter shoplifters.
The Resident News has become aware of similar issues of theft and shoplifting occurring at a local Walgreens on Park Street and went to speak to employees about the problem. While one employee in a supervisory position directed The Resident News to contact Walgreens’ corporate office for any comments or information, another told The Resident News instances of shoplifting occur at that location several times a day.
The employee in question requested to remain anonymous, but told The Resident News there are people who come in on a regular basis to shoplift and the employee believes it is because these repeat shoplifters know employees are told to stand down in such situations. The majority of these instances, the employee said, take place during the evening hours.
According to Kris Lathan, a Walgreens spokeswoman, the nationwide closures are not expected to affect any Jacksonville locations. Lathan provided the following statement regarding retail crime:
“[I]t is one of the top challenges facing our industry today. We are focused on the safety of our patients, customers and team members. We continue to take preventative measures to safely deter theft and aim to deliver the best patient and customer experience. And we are working closely with law enforcement, elected officials and community leaders to draw greater attention to and improve our response to retail crime.”
Lathan added that many factors are considered when deciding to close a location, including “our existing footprint of stores, dynamics of the local market, changes in the buying habits of our patients and customers, and more.”
Have you witnessed any instances of theft or shoplifting at this or other stores in Jacksonville? Let us know at [email protected]
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