Another Upper East Side pharmacy is shuttering. After a customer reported emptied shelves and employee talk of an impending close, East Side Feed has confirmed that the Duane Reade at 1524 Second Avenue at the corner of 79th Street will be permanently closing its doors on November 12.
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While talking with East Side Feed, an employee of the store cited theft as the main reason the store is shutting down, saying “they’re stealing more than we’re selling.” Although it didn’t involve the store, the newsstand just outside was the site of a massive robbery this past January. That incident was part of a string of robberies in which thieves made off with over $15,000 in total merchandise. A Reddit post focusing on the store at 79th and Second Ave titled “People robbing Duane Reade blind” claims that the store stopped carrying alcohol as a result of shoplifting.
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Shoppers were making their way through the near-empty shelves and waiting in line at the pharmacy on Tuesday morning. One shopper remarked that the closing of the store is “terrible,” although also admitted that she hadn’t been there in quite some time. The employee we spoke to said that scripts will likely be transferred to the store two blocks east at 79th and York Ave., but said that this would be confirmed before the official store closing.
This Duane Reade joins a list of recent pharmacy closings in the neighborhood. While shoplifting may be part of the problem, the issue of the $10 billion opioid settlement against CVS and Walgreens (which owns Duane Reade) has certainly contributed to the current downsizing of retail locations.
Walgreens has said they will be closing a large portion of their stores nationwide, with the company’s CEO Tim Wentworth saying it was due to “underperformance” in an announcement made this past July. Walgreens acquired Duane Reade, a New York City-founded business, in April of 2010.
79th and York is probably a safer site to do pharmacy. The convenience items can be found elsewhere.
I always get suspicious when I hear a store using theft as a reason to get out of an expensive lease that isn’t making the retailer money any more. I didn’t believe it with regard to the hasty lease-exits at Trader Joe’s boozer on 14th Street and at Target on 117th and I don”t believe it here.
If people are really stealing from you, you either increase security or you find out which of your employees are doing it! You don’t just close down.
Security people can not stop theft; they are given explicit instructions to not touch anyone who is stealing. A security person was slashed in the hand at a CVS last year while trying to take merchandise away from a thief who was filling his duffel bag. This is why Target in East Harlem closed and that was a terrific store for the community for both things to buy and jobs. Now so many folks are unemployed and there are fewer retail outlets open for them to look for work. Look at the empty storefronts. Corporate chain stores don’t have a problem paying rent; many have been in the neighborhood for decades. It’s theft that is closing these businesses.
Agreed, Maya!
This is seriously disappointing. The one on York is too small. 2nd Ave is up there with the 3rd/57th as far as selection. It is too bad. The daily thefts at this location is just out of control. The settlement has nothing to do with it, otherwise there’d be news of Walgreens closing across the whole country. I wish news would stop covering up the truth and making excuses for not being transparent about the insanely high amount of crime happening. The brazen attitudes of criminals is unbelievable.