Walgreens cited shoplifting as rationale
for closing 5 stores in San Francisco,
but local officials, data, and experts
cast doubt on that explanation
Business Insider,
by
Morgan Keith
Original Article
Posted By: NorthernDog,
10/18/2021 10:05:35 AM
Walgreens announced Tuesday it would be closing five of its San Francisco locations due to "organized retail crime," but police department data, local officials, and policy experts are casting doubt on that reasoning, according to a report published by the San Francisco Chronicle on Saturday. While the report said the chain has experienced retail theft, other factors like the COVID-19 pandemic and oversaturation of stores were cited as potential factors behind the decision to close the stores. Walgreens spokesperson Phil Caruso said retail theft across its San Francisco locations has increased in the past few months to five times the
Reply 1 - Posted by:
mean Gene 10/18/2021 10:15:51 AM (No. 949672)
The cut backs that had already been announced had also already been carried out.
These NEW store closures are because of the decriminalization of shoplifting under $950.
Can you imagine being a parent, needing over-the-counter, but expensive treatments for your sick child and standing in line to PAY out of your meager earnings while these criminals just waltz right past you, your checker and a manager?
36 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
aasilver 10/18/2021 10:21:15 AM (No. 949675)
Typical Liberal CYA.
Accuse others of problems caused by Liberal policies.
32 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
Cindiana 10/18/2021 10:31:46 AM (No. 949685)
In my NJ environs, there are CVS and Walgreens stores all over the place, including directly opposite each other. They are all open, have shoppers in and out all hours, and show no signs of closing. I think we here all know why San Fran is having problems with theirs.
32 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
Ribicon 10/18/2021 10:37:38 AM (No. 949689)
Shoplifting will simply escalate at other nearby stores, some of which no doubt will be less able than huge Walgreens to absorb the ongoing losses. Shops will close, one by one, and this will be chalked up to systemic racism and White supremacy.
26 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
Califedup 10/18/2021 10:43:31 AM (No. 949694)
Can someone tell me just what exactly a "policy expert" is and what they do for a living? Are they experts on retail stores that are trying to business in a anti-capitalist, communist dung hill like San Francisco?
28 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
RCFLyer98 10/18/2021 10:44:46 AM (No. 949696)
Being in the retail business for 40 years I have some thoughts. The threshold is$950 for a misdemeanot is it not? Very likely these thefts aren't reported because the police probably won't respond, or if they do, the police response will be put on the second burner and slow to show up because of other situational needs. In addition, a single store could have several encouters of theft during the day. How many? I don't know, but as as example, $950 times 20 is $19,000. A pretty large sum of "shrinkage" for any retail business to absorb. Do the math for a week, for a month, for a year, you'll figure out why they're leaving. The lack or prosecution for such matters is sheer lunacy.
37 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
LeeBertie 10/18/2021 10:46:20 AM (No. 949698)
Totally predictable reactions to anything that makes the powers-that-be look bad:
1) IT'S REALLY RACISM
2) IT'S REALLY COVID
3) IT'S REALLY BOTH OF THE ABOVE
18 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
TurtleDove 10/18/2021 10:53:51 AM (No. 949706)
".....but local officials, data, and experts
cast doubt on that explanation"
OF COURSE THEY DO!!! They assume people are stupid & sadly, a lot really are....BUT God forbid anyone make the connection between 950 & this stupidity!!!
15 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
kono 10/18/2021 11:14:10 AM (No. 949724)
Look no further than the city's DA to find the primary catalyst of this screwed-up situation. Giving people permission to steal up to almost a kilobuck a day will make all commercial businesses vulnerable to crippling crime, without recourse to prevention OR recovery.
16 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
mc squared 10/18/2021 11:27:31 AM (No. 949738)
They're closing because at some point you've made enough money
B.H. Obama
14 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
MickTurn 10/18/2021 11:33:05 AM (No. 949746)
Local Officials...Oh, the same ones that ALLOWED THE THEFTS?
14 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
MrDeplorable 10/18/2021 11:35:33 AM (No. 949750)
Let’s face it! To all practical and sentimental purposes, the City formerly known as SAN FRANCISCO has ceased to exist and has transmogrified itself into something strange and horrible, so I propose we rename the once-beautiful, now-loathsome City by the Bay with the name its natives always despised: FRISCO.
9 people like this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
Jethro bo 10/18/2021 11:57:35 AM (No. 949769)
Gotta hand it to the SF goobernment. First, they make shoplifting legal. So when shoplifting happens, companies don't report it. When companies lose millions and decide to shut down, the goobernment cites lack of reporting as an invalid excuse. Make it legal, no reporting. Lose millions and force to close, can't be due to shoplifting cause it was reported. Nice Catch 22. It would be enlightening to know what neighborhoods the store are in that are closing. Might speck volumes.
7 people like this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
udanja99 10/18/2021 12:14:40 PM (No. 949788)
Local officials - “What are you talking about? There’s no shoplifting here. And no needles and feces on the sidewalks. And no homeless people….”
7 people like this.
Reply 15 - Posted by:
stablemoney 10/18/2021 12:37:33 PM (No. 949815)
Having all your inventory stolen is now described as a rationale? I had never thought of it that way.
6 people like this.
Reply 16 - Posted by:
DVC 10/18/2021 1:09:37 PM (No. 949851)
And the coverup begins with "local officials"....who support the legalization of shoplifting, so want to cover up their complicity in this disaster.
10 people like this.
Reply 17 - Posted by:
paral04 10/18/2021 1:10:34 PM (No. 949852)
These so called experts are responsible for the policies that caused this company to close shop. Allowing thieves to run free to steal from anyone they want and have no punishment is not the way to keep a retailer open.
6 people like this.
Reply 18 - Posted by:
jasmine 10/18/2021 1:11:09 PM (No. 949853)
If it's acceptable to steal up to $950 worth of products at a time, why would the experts "doubt" organized retail crime is what's prompting store owners to flee the area? That is preposterous.
The stores exist for paying customers, not gangs of thieves.
7 people like this.
Reply 19 - Posted by:
red1066 10/18/2021 1:33:45 PM (No. 949877)
It's a private business. It can do with it's stores whatever it wants. It might just make more sense to close stores because they're losing business and putting employees at risk of injury or even death. The lawsuits that would follow from an employee being injured from one of these shoplifting stunts would cost more than the money made from keeping the store open.
5 people like this.
Reply 20 - Posted by:
Debaser 10/18/2021 3:05:36 PM (No. 949958)
They are a private business and can close up shop for any reason they choose. If it were me, I'd rather open a sand store in the Mojave than a Walgreens in SF. Need to protect your profits and employees.
4 people like this.
Reply 21 - Posted by:
mathman 10/18/2021 4:34:01 PM (No. 950006)
How is a business which stocks its shelves with merchandise in order to SELL that merchandise expected to SELL anything if it is not on the shelves? That is a flat contradiction. If a customer cannot go to the store, find the merchandise, pay for the merchandise, and leave, why go there?
What is the point of having a store if its purpose is to have stuff stolen?
It takes a liberal to think like this.
2 people like this.
Reply 22 - Posted by:
Krause 10/18/2021 5:19:12 PM (No. 950038)
I guess the brilliant city leaders think it will help thieves live a better life. 'You don't have to strive, just steal.'
1 person likes this.
Reply 23 - Posted by:
pensom2 10/18/2021 5:57:45 PM (No. 950072)
I've dealt with people like these San Franciscans lefties.The problem is, Walgreens is a corporation. And to lefties, corporations are evil. Really.
1 person likes this.
Reply 24 - Posted by:
cheeflo 10/18/2021 8:37:59 PM (No. 950192)
Yeah, what would Walgreens know about its own operations?
2 people like this.
Reply 25 - Posted by:
24tea@Mag 10/19/2021 12:40:47 AM (No. 950356)
SF is just like any big Democratic city - theft, along with other crime is ramped, and it will only get worse.
1 person likes this.
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Media swings into action to protect shoplifters and denigrate businesses.