Charles R. Walgreen Sr. started the Walgreen Chain of stores in Chicago in 1901 when he purchased the drugstore he worked as a pharmacist. By 1926 Charles R. Walgreen Sr. had opened one hundred sores in Chicago. Walgreens filled its 100 millionth prescription by 1960. In 2009 Walgreens opened its first store in Alaska, marking its presence in all fifty states. In 2014 Walgreens took its products and services worldwide when it merged with Alliance Boots, a leading international pharmacy, health, and beauty group.
The Walgreen drugstore has been a staple of health, beauty, and friendly service for over one hundred years. The Walgreen motto has been, “Service and Care” because the customer comes first. It was a Walgreen’s drugstore that invented the malted milkshake in 1922. During the pandemic Walgreens has been providing both vaccinations and COVID tests for people across the U.S.
In 2021 organized shoplifting has increased in San Francisco, forcing Walgreens to close 22 of its stores in the city. Walgreen surveillance videos have gone viral showing groups of men, woman, and minor children taking as much inventory as they can carry. The San Francisco Courts will not prosecute a larceny under one thousand dollars, so the police do not get involved with arresting these bands of thieves. The San Francisco Criminal Court and District Attorney have decriminalized larceny, creating an atmosphere of looting in retail stores.
The decriminalizing of larceny has created a direct supply of items for fencing operations in San Francisco. The fencing operations sell their stolen merchandize at Flea Markets for pennies on the dollar. The people that knowingly buy stolen merchandise at Flea Markets are just as guilty of perpetuating the crime of larceny in retail stores. The San Francisco Police are aware of these organized fencing operations at the Bay Area Flea Market, and they still do not seize the stolen merchandize.
Walgreens tried to maintain a presence in San Francisco, but the cost of security, the loss of merchandize, and employees not feeling safe just made it impossible to remain open. When San Francisco Mayor London Breed (Democrat) was asked to comment on the closure of 22 Walgreen Stores, she never mentioned the increase in crime in her city, she blamed the Walgreens Organization for their loss of revenue. So basically San Francisco Mayor London Breed (Democrat) is blaming the victim Walgreens, a worldwide organization for closing stores in San Francisco. Well, I have news for you Mayor London Breed (Democrat) Target department stores will be next to leave your city under your administration, if nothing is done to stop the looting of big and small retail stores, across San Francisco.
