Walgreens Shutting Down 500 Stores—California Hit Hardest by Closures (Video)
This is a 28 March 2025 video.
Walgreens is set to close 500 stores in 2025, including 24 in California, under a $1 billion cost-cutting plan targeting 1,200 underperforming locations. While the company avoids discussing retail theft, the pattern of closures points to a glaring reality: rampant shoplifting in cities with lax enforcement has rendered many stores unprofitable. California, especially San Francisco and Oakland, leads the closure list—areas plagued by lenient laws like Prop 47, which decriminalizes theft under $950. This wave of closures will deepen pharmacy deserts in lower-income communities, yet few are willing to confront the real cause. Corporations and local governments alike sidestep the issue, citing financial performance rather than public safety failures. This is a clear consequence of progressive policies prioritizing optics over enforcement, leaving law-abiding citizens without essential services in their own neighborhoods.
The pharmacy chain is facing a number of challenges, including decreased profits, increased online competition, and lower reimbursement rates for prescription drugs. As a result of some of these challenges, last year, the company announced plans to close as many as 1,200 stores.
https://youtu.be/7IvybnZ4_B0
𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗦
00:00 – Walgreens Announces Major Store Closures
02:15 – High Shoplifting Rates and Store Profitability
04:30 – The Growing Trend of Pharmacy Deserts
06:45 – Disparate Impact on Minority Communities
09:00 – Corporate Speak vs. Reality of Crime
11:15 – Changing Retail Landscapes and Consumer Experience
13:30 – The Consequences of Lax Theft Laws
15:45 – Activism vs. Accountability in Affected Communities
18:00 – The Need for Honest Discussions on Crime and Closure
