NYC Walgreen's Locking Up Candy and Ice Cream Due to Shoplifting

PickyPicky3 · ‎10-22-2018

This is the Walgreen's at 61st and Lexington. The news report says that petit larceny city-wide in NYC is up 33.9% this year, but the 19th Precinct is up 62.7%!

Can any Manhattan residents here give us some insight as to why this is happening?

ALRATIBA · ‎07-15-2016

@PickyPicky3

Simple reason: to thwart shoplifters.

Our local Walgreens has all the cosmetics and hair products locked.

Now, rather than self-serve - you can ring for a store employee to get the product.

Not a big issue for me ... most of the time what I want is on a top shelf and can't reach it myself and the "assistance" is appreciated.

NYCLatinaMe · ‎01-14-2017

This NYC resident is a big Walgreens customer, and is sadly seeing many stores closing. Lots of blame placed on shoplifting. My current Walgreens always looks busy (my old one closed), lots of customers. The last couple of months, I have seen no staff to help the customers with locked items.

I was there most recently on Thursday December 22, 2022, heading to the freezer section and saw an employee stuffing frozen ice cream bars in his pocket. He was pretending to be rearranging the ice cream, but there was nothing to rearrange. No new inventory to stock. While I was taking what I went for, I saw a manager come over to get this employee to help a customer. I have grown accustomed to hearing the bell they place in the shelves to request help with locked items, but usually there are no employees in the floor to help.

When I went to checkout (good line), the 3 registers were busy checking out customers. There is usually only one check-out, and sometimes a second one comes in when the line gets long.

So I am thinking that they don't pay their employees enough and can't keep the good ones. And the new ones they hire may not be so good.

I was thinking about writing to Walgreens about this shoplifting employee because they blame customers for this, and the problem may be within.

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

@NYCLatinaMe wrote:

This NYC resident is a big Walgreens customer, and is sadly seeing many stores closing. Lots of blame placed on shoplifting. My current Walgreens always looks busy (my old one closed), lots of customers. The last couple of months, I have seen no staff to help the customers with locked items.

I was there most recently on Thursday December 22, 2022, heading to the freezer section and saw an employee stuffing frozen ice cream bars in his pocket. He was pretending to be rearranging the ice cream, but there was nothing to rearrange. No new inventory to stock. While I was taking what I went for, I saw a manager come over to get this employee to help a customer. I have grown accustomed to hearing the bell they place in the shelves to request help with locked items, but usually there are no employees in the floor to help.

When I went to checkout (good line), the 3 registers were busy checking out customers. There is usually only one check-out, and sometimes a second one comes in when the line gets long.

So I am thinking that they don't pay their employees enough and can't keep the good ones. And the new ones they hire may not be so good.

I was thinking about writing to Walgreens about this shoplifting employee because they blame customers for this, and the problem may be within.

@NYCLatinaMe THE PROBLEM IS THIEVES and the fact that we allow it.

NYCLatinaMe · ‎01-14-2017

@ALRATIBA

Wonder if we use the same Walgreens, at 1st Ave & 18th Street. I think you have said you live not that far. I am not so far from this store myself. You can read my post above about this store if you'd like.

NYCLatinaMe · ‎01-14-2017

@Sooner do you live in NYC?

Janey2 · ‎06-07-2010

People shoplift in nyc because they are allowed to shoplift. If caught they do not get arrested. Managers of these stores tell their employees not to get involved so they do not get hurt. Many stores are closing because they can't deal with the losses.

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

@NYCLatinaMe wrote:

@Sooner do you live in NYC?

@NYCLatinaMe What does that have to do with anything? I live in the USA.

freakygirl · ‎07-03-2014

i was in duane reade once and this man opened up his large bag and proceeded to empty out a shelf full of meds. no one stopped him and out the door he went.

CelticCrafter · ‎03-09-2010

@Janey2 wrote:
People shoplift in nyc because they are allowed to shoplift. If caught they do not get arrested. Managers of these stores tell their employees not to get involved so they do not get hurt. Many stores are closing because they can't deal with the losses.

That's right, if an employee does get hurt trying to stop it, there's a Workers Compensation claim to deal with.