Ann Thompson has been a regular shopper at the CVS in the Northwest D.C. neighborhood of Columbia Heights, but has recently been disappointed with her shopping experience because the shelves are bare of the products she needs due to the high level of shoplifting that has taken place.
“It is really sad,” said Thompson, 52, a Columbia Heights resident after leaving the store on Oct. 15. “This is the neighborhood CVS that people rely on. We have a Target across the street, but this is the CVS that people go to.”
The Ward 1 CVS serves as an acute example of the shoplifting activity gripping the District. In the District, Capitol One Shopping, a branch of Capitol One that examines retail data, reveals that in April, retailers in the city lost an estimated $108 million in annual revenue to theft — 26.3% less than the national average of retail theft per capita.
‘Shoplifting Needs to Stop‘
There are no reports of other CVS stores in the District with bare shelves throughout their facility.
This Northwest, D.C. store, has equipment, personnel and procedures working to deter shoplifters. However, many of the store’s shelves remain bare.
Outside of the store is an automated loudspeaker announcing that people are being watched while outside and inside the CVS. In the store, most shelves are bare, with some having one or two items. The refrigerated compartments were empty apart from a few food and drink offerings.
The pharmacy is fully functioning with staff selling and filling prescriptions, but there are few over-the-counter medicines for customers to purchase. The cosmetics shelves and displays are empty, too.
However, the magazine rack and the shelves containing greeting cards are full. Some shelves that have soap, deodorant, shampoo, and conditioner are behind glass and a CVS employee must unlock it to retrieve an item.
The store had a security guard who walked around the facility constantly, observing customers. Thompson, 52, said the security guards should be careful as they perform their duties.
“I know shoplifting is bad, but I would not encourage security guards in the store to confront shoplifters,” she said. “No one should get hurt at CVS.”
Jaqueline Reed, who lives near the store, wonders how long the store will stay in the condition it is in.
“I think it is terrible that the store has a lack of merchandise,” said Reed, 62. “Are they going to close the store? There is nothing in there to really buy. The shelves are so bare.”
Joseph Smith-El has lived such a long time in the neighborhood that he can remember when it was referred to as Upper Cardozo by locals. Smith-El said he still buys what he can from the store and lays the blame of shoplifting on poor parenting.
“We have to stop this shoplifting,” said Smith-El, 77. “These parents aren’t teaching their kids right from wrong. Parents need to govern their children. These stores will pay more to have additional security, but it will be the customers who will pay through higher prices.”
Amy B. Thibault, a spokeswoman for CVS, addressed the shoplifting and the status of the store in an Oct. 12 email to the Informer.
“The safety of our colleagues, customers and patients is our top priority and we’re committed to ensuring we have the products they need in our stores,” Thibault said. “In recent weeks, we’ve worked closely with the D.C. Metro Police to identify and dismantle several major shoplifting rings and will continue to do so.”
Thibault also explained that CVS is working in partnership with the District’s Office of the Attorney General “to combat retail theft,” and shared current plans for the future of the Columbia Heights CVS and other local locations.
”There are no plans to close this location, or any others in Washington, D.C., at this time.”
I’m very disappointed in the article regarding the Columbia Heights CVS. I believe the author erroneously and deliberately conflated the empty shelves with the shoplifting epidemic.
I visited that CVS 3 days ago and yes the shelves were bare. Unlike the author of the article I asked the staff “Why”. I was told the store was preping to be remodeled.
In the article a statement from a CVS representative was quoted. That statement referred to the CVS policy regarding shoplifting in general. An uninformed reader could easily assume the statement was a reflection of the issue at the Columbia Heigts CVS specifically.
The way this article was presented forces me to believe that this article was deliberately misleading. I realize the article was written from the perspective of shoppers, but staging the article to support their views and or the views of the writer is a manipulative exercise.
Someone took time out to visit the CVS and take pictures but no one took time to ask “Why”? I find that difficult to believe and comprehend.