San Francisco Walgreens locks up frozen goods to deter theft

A Walgreens store in San Francisco may have taken theft prevention to the next level.

The store, located in the city’s Richmond District, has chained and locked its freezer section due to ongoing robberies, reports the CBS Bay Area.

Employees say the store suffers from over 20 thefts a day, with frozen pizza and ice cream among the most popular items stolen, according to reporting from CBS Bay Area.

“We are focused on the safety of our patients, customers, and team members,” Walgreens said in a statement. “We continue to take preventative measures to safely deter theft and aim to deliver the best patient and customer experience. And we are working closely with law enforcement, elected officials, and community leaders to draw greater attention to and improve our response to retail crime.”

Walgreens Boots Alliance has recently demonstrated a no-tolerance approach to crime. One of the retailer’s newest stores in Chicago was specifically designed to reduce shoplifting. Upon entering the store, shoppers use a kiosk to order their merchandise.. A store worker then retrieves the items, which are paid for at the register. There are only several aisles of essential items accessible to shoppers.

Walgreens admits it over-hyped retail theft in 2022, but the pharmacy retailer believes it is now on the right path, at least based on year-to-year data. During Walgreens’ Q1 earnings call, Chief Financial Officer James Kehoe said inventory shrinkage was at 3.5% of sales last year, but now sits at around 2.5%.

Related:Walgreens acquires 120 Brookshire Grocery pharmacies

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