CVS in Washington DC replaces stock with PHOTOGRAPHS of items as it battles with out-of-control crim

These are individual store policies. Has nothing to do with any politicians. CVSs are in a lot of red states, too.

 

No question retail theft is a problem and the groups coming in and grabbing lots of stuff seems to be a new and really disturbing phenomenon. But the drug store chains have been struggling for quite a while now, not something that started in the last year or two, and it's hardly simply because of theft. The business model itself has problems, especially when you realize that CVS and Walgreens are often on high traffic, expensive corners.

 

Service Merchandise making a comeback.

 

Would you care to point out where in CVS' Nov 18, 2021 statement did they say they're closing 900 stores "due to the shoplifting crime wave?" (Hint: They didn't)

Anyway, DC & US larceny rates...

 

Another item they consider is safety. With a mob looting a store, we’ve all seen customers, young children and employees just standing around in the midst of the brazen theft.

 

In 2021, they announced the closing of 900 stores over a 3-year period as part of a shift to digital strategy. Right wing hacks take liberty with spinning it for their spoon fed following.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/18/cvs...t,will start in spring 2022, the company said.

 

Ha, “THIRD WORLD!!!!!!!”

Third World: “Two drug stores on every corner where you overpay for everything from paper towels to As Seen On TV junk and have someone hand deliver it? Yes please!”

 

Well sure, but that kind of points to one of the (several) problems with the article. As G8R92 mentioned above and as the announcement I linked to shows, the 900 number came from CVS' 2021 public statement.

Daily Mail claimed that the 900 store closings were from a shoplifting crime wave (presumably meaning more recent than 2021) even though CVS' announcement was from Nov 2021 and made no mention of crime being a reason.

 

OP posted an article from Daily Mail. That is enough to tell you that the article is not worth reading

 

crime appears to be one of the reasons. but not the only reason

 

Retail boardrooms…

Retail executive to the group: OK, how are we going to distract people from the fact that we’re closing unprofitable stores in underserved markets where the customer quite frankly just doesn’t have a lot of money?

Guy, number one: Let’s just explain to everybody that the wealthy have consolidated more wealth in this country than any other time in history and the bottom just doesn’t have money for us to make profit off servicing.

Retail executive: you’re fired. Next

Guy number two: Let’s just blame criminals. Even though our shrink has been between 1.4% and 1.6% for the last decade no one will care cuz we’ll circulate pictures and videos.

Retail executive: You’re promoted Mr. Sr. Executive vice president

 

I'm not really sure who has the axe to grind here. Is it conservatives because they can show how bad crime is and the liberal leadership in DC is soft on crime, or, is it liberals because the big bad corporations are making it difficult for poor people in bad neighborhoods to conveniently buy toilet paper and deodorant because ... racism.
Bottom line is this store or stores made a decision to show pictures of products and have an employee go fetch them for the customer for some reason.

 

Do you think the story you posted acknowledged the various factors, or did it give the impression it was all due to crime?