Walgreens closes five more stores in San Francisco due to thefts

Walgreens said it will close five more stores in San Francisco next month because of organized retail theft in another blow to a city that has earned an embarrassing reputation for widespread shoplifting.

The stores will close next month, SFGATE reported. It said Walgreens has closed at least 10 stores in the city since 2019. "Retail theft across our San Francisco stores has continued to increase in the past few months to five times our chain average" despite large increases in security, Walgreens spokesperson Phil Caruso said.

San Francisco Supervisor Ahsha Safai said he was devastated by the loss of a Mission Street store that "has been a staple for seniors, families and children for decades."