(Julianna Frieman, Headline USA) A dip in sales finally made Walgreens acknowledge that it was shoplifters who belonged behind bars—not toothpaste, shaving cream or your daily multivitamin.
Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO Tim Wentworth vowed to find another solution to retail theft after a Jan. 10 earnings report revealed his company saw a 52% increase in “shrink,” which means products are disappearing from store shelves without being legitimately sold, according to the New York Post.
“When you lock things up … you don’t sell as many of them,” the pharmacy chain CEO said during a recent earnings call with investors. “We’ve kind of proven that pretty conclusively.”
Here me out… what if… instead of locking up the toothpaste, we lock up the criminals. pic.twitter.com/xh6TSYSn9f
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 16, 2025
Wentworth compared dealing with shoplifters to a “hand-to-hand combat battle” and said Walgreens would move forward with creative solutions that do not ruin the shopping experience, the outlet reported.
Walgreens began protecting items like gum and hygiene products behind lock-and-key glass cases during the Biden administration. The retailer’s move to undo its bad-for-business mouthwash-fencing, shampoo-jailing policy comes less than one week before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Other major retailers have implemented their own policies to battle shoplifting, such as Walmart’s recent rollout of employee-worn body cameras. Some Walmart locations also have several products encased behind glass to stop thieves, which likely disincentivizes customers from making purchases.
Walmart tests body cams for employees to enhance security and deter grab-and-go theft.
Follow: @AFpost pic.twitter.com/K1DNd98jQP
— AF Post (@AFpost) December 19, 2024
Wentworth’s decision comes as Walgreens tries to balance customer satisfaction with reduced losses and improved safety, the New York Post noted.
Walgreens Boots Alliance performed well in first-quarter fiscal 2025 results with an adjusted earnings per share of 51 cents, exceeding analysts predicts of 37 cents, according to the outlet. The pharmacy chain also saw a 7.5% boost in sales, bringing the company to $39.5 billion.
Chicago residents accuse Walgreens of targeting black areas after closures of MULTIPLE stores plagued by crime pic.twitter.com/GCqm5Qljs9
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) January 16, 2025
Walgreens’s improved numbers come after Wentworth and his team moved to close more than 1,200 underperforming stores in the U.S.
Walgreens announced its intent to close five stores in Chicago come the end of February, ABC7 Chicago reported. Outraged customers accused the company of unfairly targeting locations with a high population of black residents.
Julianna Frieman is a freelance writer published by the Daily Caller, Headline USA, The Federalist, and the American Spectator. Follow her on Twitter at @JuliannaFrieman.
