London Drugs in heart of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside to close on Feb. 1

The London Drugs outlet in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside will close Feb. 1, the retailer said in a statement Thursday.

The decision to close the pharmacy and retail location, which has been open in the Woodward's building since 2009, was not taken lightly, London Drugs President and COO Clint Mahlman told CBC Radio's On the Coast.

"The cumulative effects of ongoing vandalism, theft, violence against employees and customers ... combined with the massive increase in costs it takes to keep our people safe and our products protected, have just become unsustainable," he said.

The location lost tens of millions of dollars since it opened, Mahlman said, adding that the retailer's first location was located a few blocks away and opened in 1945.

Mahlman said that Vancouver police had been amazing in focusing on enforcement in the Downtown Eastside, but "sadly it’s just not enough to turn around the neighbourhood, and we don’t see a pathway that it’s going to change anytime soon."

The closure will affect 90 employees, who have been offered positions in nearby stores, he added.

Vancouver Councillor Peter Meiszner, who lives in the area, called the decision "devastating news for the community" in an interview.

"This is one of the last affordable stores in the neighbourhood. People come here for the pharmacy, for the post office," the councillor said.

The closure speaks to bigger issues in the neighbourhood of public safety and people who aren’t getting the support that they need for mental health and addiction issues, he said.

It also means people in the neighbourhood will have to go further afield or rely on convenience stores, Meiszner said.

“They have very high prices and I think vulnerable people will pay more.”

London Drugs has stores in more than 35 major markets across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba and also sells online across Canada.

Jess Ketchum, the co-founder of the Save our Street Coalition, said the closure of the store was a long time coming and he had been concerned over the longevity of the store for a few years.

The coalition includes retailers such as London Drugs, Lululemon, Aritzia and Save-on-Foods, and it held its first news conference at the same London Drugs store that is set to close in October 2023.