Despite what the New York Post wants you to believe with its crime-chaos narratives, drug stores aren't closing because of shoplifting. This piece from Curbed last week explains what has been going on, including pandemic-related supply-chain issues and losses due to online competition.
Per the article: Walgreens says that when it closes stores, its reasoning is rooted in "the dynamics of the local market and the changing buying habits of our customers."
Walgreens customers can now go to the Walgreens-owned Duane Reade 50 steps away at 1 Union Square.
The last sentence is all that matters "Walgreens customers can now go to the Walgreens-owned Duane Reade 50 steps away at 1 Union Square"
ReplyDeleteThe "changing buying habits" are in some cases related to the rampant shoplifting though. At least in my case. I tried to buy a simple Nivea hand cream and went to Target, CVS, Duane Reade. The cream was nowhere to be found, and ordinary stuff such as creams and shampoos were behind plexiglas and you have to wait for an associate to open the locks. I ended up ordering online, which I didn't want to do since so many stores are in walking distance. But had no choice.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 9:00 -
ReplyDeleteSo you just left the store instead of buying what you went there for?
They've been locking up so many items lately, but, maybe if you're going to sell all these little items that have high retail prices, you SHOULD have them secured.
Sort of like how if you have a bank and you leave the vault open and you leave the teller cash right on the counter unattended for minutes at a time, don't be surprised if the bottom 1% of the population starts getting a little grabby with the stuff out in the open. That doesn't justify stealing, but everyone should stop acting like private retail companies failing to secure valuables is a problem we have to solve with prisons
Taking a wild guess this will be sold, torn down and another luxury condo / tech tower / sun-and-light-blocking blight eyesore on the street erected it its stead.
ReplyDeleteAll air rights already accounted for
DeleteThis store's closure is in complete defiance of the "location, location, location" rule.
ReplyDeleteThat corner is absolutely MORE convenient (AND has more foot traffic going past it, due to its proximity to the subway stairs) than the Duane Reade that is located just west of it.
But that corner is also much, much more square footage, extending the entire block and with two floors. Clearly the rent differential is significant.
DeleteI think this is the first place where I ever saw the terrifying phenomenon of drugstore sushi. Either here or the one down in the old bank on Wall St.
ReplyDeleteDevelopers are ready licking their chops, phoning Mayor Adam to approve their luxury condo tower for the spot and expecting Carlina Rivera to instantly rezone the partial as she alway does.
ReplyDeleteThat location never made any sense, given that there was another Walgreens just steps away. Though the corner front is good, once inside the store, you were forced to go up the escalator and to the backside of the store -- inconvenient if you're looking to grab just one or two items in a hurry.
ReplyDeleteThe number of redundant drug stores in Manhattan, particularly in that area, is ridiculous. RiteAid has already exited the area, but CVS is opening more.
I really hope it's another Starbucks or a Vape Shop.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Trader Joe's will take it over. It definitely has outgrown its' 14 Street store
ReplyDeleteI believe these locations antedated the acquisition of DR by Walgreens in 2010. Thus, the redundancy.
ReplyDeleteSo now that they took out all the mom-and-pop stores-they're going out of business themselves
ReplyDeleteThe store is closing because of massive shoplifting. I know people that work there - this is the only reason the store is closed. Thank Blasio and bail reform.
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