A day that began with a new mayor’s promises of a cleaner, safer, and more prosperous San Francisco ended with a deflating dose of reality. Walgreens will close a dozen locations around the city at the end of February, The Standard has learned.
The closures include known theft hot spots and the Market Street store where a security guard fatally shot alleged shoplifter Banko Brown in 2023.
A Walgreens spokesperson told The Standard via email that the closures are due to costs from “increased regulatory and reimbursement pressures” that hamper the company’s ability to pay for rent, staffing, and supply needs. The pharmacy chain pledged to work with the community to minimize “customer disruptions.”
“It is never an easy decision to close a store,” the spokesperson said. “We know that our stores are important to the communities that we serve, and therefore do everything possible to improve the store performance.”
Walgreens has 41 pharmacies around the city, according to the company’s website.
The locations that will close between Feb. 24 and Feb. 27 are:
- 1201 Taraval St.
- 3201 Divisadero St.
- 1363 Divisadero St.
- 825 Market St.
- 1750 Noriega St.
- 5280 Geary Blvd.
- 1524 Polk St.
- 1301 Franklin St.
- 1189 Potrero Ave.
- 135 Powell St.
- 1630 Ocean Ave.
- 5300 Third St.
While Walgreens did not say crime was a reason for the closures, some of the targeted locations have been plagued by shoplifting in recent years. The store at 5280 Geary had the highest theft rate of any Walgreens in the U.S., CNN reported in 2023. More recently, a gang of 12 thieves — seven of whom were minors — stole $84,000 in merchandise from the 1189 Potrero location and other stores in a string of heists.
The company said prescriptions would be transferred to “other, nearby Walgreens locations” and that patients would receive that information. The spokesperson said they couldn’t share the number of prescriptions currently filled at the affected stores.