No Walgreens For You

[monsterkitty]

It's not just CA, it's everywhere and has been even before the pandemic.

While in college, my niece worked at Victoria Secrets. It was located in an outside mall and the street was about 10 steps from the door. Her first shift a group of 3 or 4 people dressed in black and had their faces covered jumped out of a car that parked in the middle of the street. They ran in with large trash bags and just grabbed anything and everything they could, shoved it in the bags, ran out and jumped in the car. It happened almost weekly in the year she was there and it still happens.

Same thing would happen at other stores - people would come in, fill bags with anything, and jump into a car. This is not a recent thing and it's happening in all areas, not just "crime-ridden" areas.

 

[fly girl]

Well CA has had a history of fighting the fights that don't always need to be fought whilst ignoring, sometimes blatantly, ones that do need to be fought.

It reads like the disposable thing is about reducing waste and litter which is on track with CA's campaign on prior things related to that (like plastic bag charges or plastic bags prohibited entirely).

Yes, I get that is about taking care of our environment, and that I am for. But it still blows my mind how many other huge problems seemingly get completely overlooked. It is just weird to me. So I expressed my opinion, nothing more.

I am well aware that California marches to their own drum. However, I still think it's cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs at times.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Yes, I get that is about taking care of our environment, and that I am for. But it still blows my mind how many other huge problems seemingly get completely overlooked. It is just weird to me. So I expressed my opinion, nothing more.

I am well aware that California marches to their own drum. However, I still think it's cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs at times.

Sorry I was actually agreeing with you

 

[fly girl]

Sorry I was actually agreeing with you

I and bet we will both agree we like visiting California.

It is a beautiful state.

 

[bcla]

Interesting article about Walgreen's...they actually had someone who was working as a pharmacist (I think it may have been in San Francisco?) who never went to pharmacy school and was just a pharmacy clerk....worked as a pharmacist for years and never had to produce her license. The FDA finally caught up with her....google it!

That was a case of someone trying to pass herself off as a licensed pharmacist with a similar name. She was operating out of a Walgreens in San Jose, but also did remote verifications for other store locations where there was only a pharmacy tech.

https://moneyinc.com/the-story-of-kim-thien-le-fake-walgreens-pharmacist/

 

[VandVsmama]

I don't know if the people disagreeing with TVguy live in CA or not but since the passage of making a $900 theft a petty theft, it is happening EVERY SINGLE DAY. There was a Home Depot employee that was fired for chasing down a thief. These people are walking in with large black trash bags, filling them up and walking out of the store. They are not running, they walk. I live in a decent area and our Rite Aid is now closing at 4pm due to theft. It is now a joke. Heard they just passed something that we can now only get 2 catsup packets at fast food but you can steal $999 LOL

Yep.

It's a huge problem in Oakland, CA, too. All over SF and Oakland, thieves will waltz into a store (not just Walgreens and CVS), open up their bag, dump merchandise in, and walk out. Local city ordinances in those 2 cities are such that you can steal up to $900 of stuff and it's a misdemeanor. In addition, the local city police departments were directed by City Hall to not arrest people for misdemeanors, not bring them in to a police station for processing, etc. The police will only come if someone's life is in serious danger.

Car break ins are a huge problem in SF now as well. It's gotten so bad that citizens no longer even bother to lock their vehicles. And if your car gets broken into, don't call the cops because they literally will not come. They'll tell you to go file a police report yourself at the police station because they won't send anyone to you.

SF is pretty much a dumpster file and a cess pool. Just before the pandemic began, my sister lived in Daly City, a BART ride away, and would commute into SF on a daily basis. She said that it had gotten to the point where she no longer felt safe walking around on her own in SF. She now lives in another state and fled like thousands of other Californians have been doing over the past 2 years.

 

[wfjny]

Well, while the reasons for closing the stores may not be accurate, in the end, does it make sense to close a store if it is making money? I am not talking about decisions like Disney closing their stores because they are choosing another direction. I mean, if you are a company, and store X returns a profit every year, would you actually close it?

However, if you are closing a store with low or no profitability for a variety of reasons (increased labor costs, smaller margins, shrinkage, etc.), doesn't that make more sense. Especially if there is another store in relative close proximity that may pick up some of the business.

It would not surprise me if more chain stores essentially combine due to staffing issues.

 

[bcla]

It's not just CA, it's everywhere and has been even before the pandemic.

While in college, my niece worked at Victoria Secrets. It was located in an outside mall and the street was about 10 steps from the door. Her first shift a group of 3 or 4 people dressed in black and had their faces covered jumped out of a car that parked in the middle of the street. They ran in with large trash bags and just grabbed anything and everything they could, shoved it in the bags, ran out and jumped in the car. It happened almost weekly in the year she was there and it still happens.

Same thing would happen at other stores - people would come in, fill bags with anything, and jump into a car. This is not a recent thing and it's happening in all areas, not just "crime-ridden" areas.

A retailer like Walgreens isn't necessarily operating off of huge margins, although certainly their prices are typically higher than at discount stores like Target or Walmart.

A place like Victoria's Secret is definitely operating off of extremely high markups, even for sale items. I remember the controversy when a reporter discovered that they are ordered to shred any items that are returned. I understand that they generally don't resell such items, but they won't give them away and don't want employees to take them and perhaps sell on the secondary market.

 

[Sinder]

SF has turned in to a literal ****hole, good for Walgreens.

According to Walgreens theft in their SF stores is 4 times higher than the average of their other US stores. They pay 35% more for security for their SF stores.
Scratch that, that was from June, apparently now it's 5% more.

 

[JimMIA]

Well, while the reasons for closing the stores may not be accurate, in the end, does it make sense to close a store if it is making money? I am not talking about decisions like Disney closing their stores because they are choosing another direction. I mean, if you are a company, and store X returns a profit every year, would you actually close it?

The first week of MBA classes, they teach you the answer to every question: It DEPENDS.

To a casual observer, if a store is making a profit, keep it. But that is not the way the business universe works.

Businesses need to earn a certain level of profit to be retained -- because if they don't, those assets can be shifted somewhere else to earn a acceptable rate of profit.

When I was in school, that was called the "hurdle rate." And investments -- any and all investments -- had to clear that hurdle rate or the business would reallocate their assets. Some PhD candidate has probably come up with a much cooler name by now, but that's what it was called when I was in school.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

A retailer like Walgreens isn't necessarily operating off of huge margins, although certainly their prices are typically higher than at discount stores like Target or Walmart.

A place like Victoria's Secret is definitely operating off of extremely high markups, even for sale items. I remember the controversy when a reporter discovered that they are ordered to shred any items that are returned. I understand that they generally don't resell such items, but they won't give them away and don't want employees to take them and perhaps sell on the secondary market.

For the most part that's the nature of the items, it's bras, underwear and lingerie. Sanitary concerns arise there. Some places do also have a no return policy on certain items like that for that reason. And selling on the secondary market happens unfortunately on Amazon and even Walmart when it's strictly 3rd party sellers among other places where people get soiled items

 

[Keli]

I know of a couple grocery stores that have or are in the process of being closed due to massive theft issues. These were in rough areas and it just became unprofitable to keep them open. Often the profit margins aren't that large in that industry and a store can become unprofitable if a substantial amount of shoplifting or theft by employees is regularly occurring. I feel bad for those that live in the neighborhood and lose stores nearby and have to travel further for groceries. I'm sure that's a burden for many.

 

[Darklord77]

My husband owns a business and he’s caught several vehicle break ins in the parking lot. He filed police reports and sent the police the license plate info of the burglars and nothing was done. He’s super frustrated that these people are getting away with these crimes. An employees bike got stolen even though it was locked to the bike rack. The thief bought bolt cutters and cut the lock.

The vehicle break-in suspects usually use a car with a stolen license plate or a stolen car. Getting the plate number is often useless.

 

[fly girl]

Yep.

It's a huge problem in Oakland, CA, too. All over SF and Oakland, thieves will waltz into a store (not just Walgreens and CVS), open up their bag, dump merchandise in, and walk out. Local city ordinances in those 2 cities are such that you can steal up to $900 of stuff and it's a misdemeanor. In addition, the local city police departments were directed by City Hall to not arrest people for misdemeanors, not bring them in to a police station for processing, etc. The police will only come if someone's life is in serious danger.

Car break ins are a huge problem in SF now as well. It's gotten so bad that citizens no longer even bother to lock their vehicles. And if your car gets broken into, don't call the cops because they literally will not come. They'll tell you to go file a police report yourself at the police station because they won't send anyone to you.

SF is pretty much a dumpster file and a cess pool. Just before the pandemic began, my sister lived in Daly City, a BART ride away, and would commute into SF on a daily basis. She said that it had gotten to the point where she no longer felt safe walking around on her own in SF. She now lives in another state and fled like thousands of other Californians have been doing over the past 2 years.

This just breaks my heart as I used to adore San Fransisco. In my flying days I would bid trips all the time to layover there in Union Square, Pier 39, and Chinatown. When I first started flying, my first trip off of probation (everyone was put on probation the first 6 months) was 24 hours as a solo flight attendant on a "K-line" trip -- a trip created to help staff wide body aircraft that needed extra crew members. I was by myself at the young age of 22 in a city I had never been in. Not once did I feel unsafe. I walked the streets and took the trolley like I was queen of the city. I remember enjoying a fancy meal on the water all by myself to toast my pay raise (lol) as a starting FA salary is abysmal. That trip I fell in love with San Fransisco and it was a city I was always excited to visit.

Last time I was there was April 2019, and I noticed the sad decline of a once beautiful city. The fact I had to dodge poop on the street (didn't get the app) was enough for me to shake my head and wonder what has gone horribly wrong here. Shell of its former self. I was with my husband this visit but I don't know if I would have felt as comfortable as I had in the past if I was alone. (my guess, I wouldn't)

I still want to have a soft spot for San Fran, but San Diego has taken the lead and deservedly so. (although I still say the food wins hands down in San Fransisco.)

 

[Darklord77]

I still want to have a soft spot for San Fran, but San Diego has taken the lead and deservedly so. (although I still say the food wins hands down in San Fransisco.)

San Diego is a great place. However, they have their problems with this also. I saw more homeless people in plain view in San Diego than I did in Seattle. This was 2018-2019. Just a few blocks from Petco Park where the Padres play the streets are lined with tents. It rivals any skid row area I have ever seen. I was shocked that a government would allow this to happen to their city.

 

[fly girl]

San Diego is a great place. However, they have their problems with this also. I saw more homeless people in plain view in San Diego than I did in Seattle. This was 2018-2019. Just a few blocks from Petco Park where the Padres play the streets are lined with tents. It rivals any skid row area I have ever seen. I was shocked that a government would allow this to happen to their city.

I haven't been over in that area, so I dodged it. It has been a while since I have been in SD, I want to say 2017. We stayed at Coronado so my daughter who was young then could enjoy the beach that was calm. We did the standard tourist places (zoo, downtown, pier) and it wasn't bad over there.

Makes me sad if it is taking a turn like San Fran.

 

[bcla]

Deleted

Uh no. The stores closing are in random locations, but all in expensive places to live. Four of the locations closing are in very nice neighrborhoods. One is in a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood.

 

[mom2rtk]

It's OK. I'm sure we'll have a new program soon to address the "pharmacy deserts" in SF.

 

[Mysterian]

My Walgreens perceptions have totally been challenged here today. That place has more mirrors than a funhouse, along with cameras, yet people can still orchestrate a five-fingered shopping spree like there's no tomorrow?

Rest those weary typers and don't answer, it's rhetorical. I'm also here to throw the spotlight on Fly Girl's colorful Seinfeldian language, which deserves some appreciation!

Sweet Fancy Moses, our country (or should I say Cali) is in the bizarro world at times.

 

[Mysterian]

I'll solve the puzzle Pat:

Ok, this is good too. I actually care quack-all about the topic, I'm just here for the posts.