Due to recurrent thefts by a group of teenagers that consistently left the shelves bare, a CVS store in Washington D.C.’s Columbia Heights neighborhood is set to close on February 29, as reported by Fox affiliate WTTG-TV.
Months after videos surfaced in October 2023 showing row after row of empty shelves at the CVS store, the closing was announced. This follows incidents of a group of shoplifting teens routinely ransacking the store.
The widespread theft at the CVS location has become so severe that customers now shop for necessities elsewhere. Ilana Miller, a CVS customer, told WTTG-TV, “It makes me not want to shop there, to be honest. I just go in there and get my prescription, and then when I need other things, I go elsewhere because there’s nothing there to get.”
According to staff members, 45 or more kids routinely enter the store to steal chips and drinks before school, after school, and late at night. CVS employees claim that the teenage thieves are knowledgeable about the arrival of new shipments and strategically target the store accordingly.
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According to Fox 5, there are allegations that “street vendors are paying individuals to steal items for resale.” The station reported observing street vendors selling items that used to occupy the now-empty shelves at the pharmacy.
They observed individuals selling toothbrushes, men’s and women’s body wash, car fresheners, and laundry and cleaning supplies along the streets just steps away from the CVS.
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Year-to-date, reports of robbery have surged by 68% in 2023 compared to 2022. According to Metropolitan Police Department data, there have been 1,395 instances of property crime in 2024, a decrease from 1,615 at the same point in 2023.
In 2023, there were a total of 3,470 reported robberies. CVS Pharmacy’s headquarters and the Metropolitan Police Department have not responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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Ben Atanga, owner of a wellness studio in Maryland, informed the outlet that it is a nationwide issue.
“First, I want to say this: this is not just an H street or a D.C. problem — this is something that’s going on all over the country, right?” Atanga said. “The economy is going up, cost of living is going up … If people are stealing necessities, you know, maybe we should take a look at that.
Maybe those are things that we don’t increase, or maybe as a community, we provide that … ‘Hey look, you can come pick up toiletries and stuff like that so that you can take care of yourself.'”
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