CVS has said publically for the first time that theft has been a major reason it has had to shut down stores in a major US city.
After yet another creepy video of empty aisles and barren shelves went viral recently, CVS admitted the impact theft has had on closures.
The nationwide convenience store and pharmacy has shut down hundreds of locations in recent years, but they have cited other causes for the decisions — such as low profitability and strategic changes.
Videos showing basic products locked behind security glass or simply unavailable have added to the rumors.
Now, the arrest of a serial shoplifter in Washington DC has pushed the retailer to reveal the true cause.
The US Attorney’s Office in DC recently sentenced a repeat offender to 18 months in jail for stealing from a single store, according to local Fox affiliate WTTG.
In a victim statement for the case, CVS cited the crime and similar acts of repeated theft as a direct reason for the closures in the District.
It marks the first time that the retailer has publically and directly drawn a causal link between growing crime and the shutdown of their stores.
CVS first shocked customers in 2021 when it announced that it would gradually close over 1,000 locations in the coming years.
About 600 stores shuttered their doors for the last time by the end of 2023, with an additional 300 or so scheduled for closure in 2024.
These include dozens of pharmacies located inside Target stores.
“The closures are part of our plan to realign our national retail footprint and reduce store and pharmacy density and are based on our evaluation of changes in population, consumer buying patterns and futurehealth needs to ensure we have the right pharmacy format in the right locations for patients,” a CVS spokesperson told The U.S. Sun last year.
They made no mention of shoplifting or crime as a driver behind the closures.
COMMUNITIES SUFFER
With thousands of locations nationwide, a local CVS is sometimes the only convenience store or pharmacy within walking distance of struggling communities.
Many of these closures have contributed to food and pharmacy deserts — large swathes of residential areas without easy access to basic necessities.
Anti-theft measures rolled out by retailers
Retailers across the US and Canada have rolled out strategies designed to combat theft. The U.S. Sun has compiled a list of measures that have been implemented at stores.
- Locking items in cabinets.
- Security pegs.
- Security cameras.
- Signs warning about the impact of theft.
- Receipt scanners.
- Receipt checks.
- Carts with locking technology
Shoppers at another DC pharmacy shutting down this week shared their frustrations and concerns.
“It’s definitely a letdown because we had a lot of senior residents that live in the community and this was very convenient for them to come in and get their medication,” Jackie Strange, who used to work at the CVS, told DC News Now.
She suspected crime to be the cause behind the closure from the beginning.
“We do see the same people come in and take stuff and then even if they do get caught we will see them the next day come in and take some more stuff,” she said.
She said that she does not think that thieves are afraid of the legal consequences, so they continuously steal from the store.
A spokesperson for CVS told the outlet that 14 CVS locations in the area have closed as part of a 2021 initiative, in addition to three more located inside Target stores.
CVS did not immediately respond to a request for comment by The U.S. Sun.