By admin 
THE BRONX (WABC) — A Walgreens in the Bronx is among more than a thousand stores nationwide that will close their doors, forcing many to find a new place to pick up prescriptions.
The pharmacy on East Fordham Road will close permanently on November 7 one of 1,200 locations in the US that will close in the next three years.
“I think it’s very difficult,” said Fordham student Ryan Murphy. “We don’t have any other good option in the area.”
Residents in the area believe shoplifting played a role in the store’s closure and say they have witnessed shoplifters becoming more brazen.
Walgreens said economic headwinds have made it too difficult to cover rent, staffing and supply costs.
The pharmacy giant said in a statement:
“Our retail pharmacy business is central to our forward-thinking business strategy. However, increased regulatory and reimbursement pressures are weighing on our ability to cover costs associated with rent, staffing and supply needs. It is never an easy decision to close a business. We know our stores are important to the communities we serve and are committed to improving store performance. When closures are necessary, such as this one in New York, we will work with community stakeholders to minimize the number of customers. We plan to redeploy the majority of our team members from the stores we are closing.”
Experts believe that shoplifting is one of many factors.
“When everything is behind a plexiglass screen and a customer is trying to buy something, it creates additional friction, and friction is the death of retail,” says business analyst Parag Amin. “In the long run, I think this will be good for customers because it creates more competition ready to take their place.”
A mom-and-pop pharmacy across Webster Avenue is more than ready to take on new customers.
“We will be taking some of the sales, so we’re very happy with that, we’re very lucky,” said Mahesh Patel, co-owner of Plaza Pharmacy.
The East Fordham Road location is among 500 stores closing in fiscal year 2025.
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