After fears were stoked about crime and safety concerns leading to the potential closures of London Drugs locations around Vancouver, the retail chain is clarifying its position.
London Drugs President Clint Mahlman told Daily Hive on Tuesday, “We are having to face the reality of closing some stores.”
“Not just because of financial losses, but more importantly, because we want our employees to feel safe coming to work,” he added.
However, later in the week, London Drugs sent Daily Hive a statement to clarify its position.
“LD has no immediate plans to close stores, and this will only be seriously considered as a last resort.”
London Drugs said Friday that the chain is simply responding to safety concerns.
“The message remains consistent that we have not backed off on evaluation closure of stores. The safety of our staff and customers remains our top priority.”
A spokesperson added that specific location closure details would not be discussed out of respect for staff, customers, and landlords.
“We want to avoid this at almost any cost, but with our staff safety being the most important thing, there is only so much we can take from economic loss to justify keeping the store(s) open.”
“The key issue in all of this is the escalating violence, vandalism, and economic loss,” a London Drugs spokesperson told Daily Hive.
“We are at a crisis point for Canadian retailers, but nothing is close to being decided on any London Drugs store closures (in the Lower Mainland or elsewhere).”
The story’s beginnings were tied to an X post after Vancouver City Councillor Peter Meiszner suggested that the Georgia and Granville location was at risk of being closed, a statement he later clarified.
I’ve had the opportunity to talk to London Drugs this afternoon and am relieved to share that this particular store will not be closing, however, challenges around shoplifting are a serious, ongoing challenge for the retailer and staff. More on this from @CBCEarlyEdition here:… https://t.co/CC1CoYgwYp
— Peter Meiszner 裴智勵/裴智励 (@PeterMeiszner) October 18, 2023
London Drugs told Daily Hive that Meiszner “did not fact check this with London Drugs but perpetuated a rumour that speculated on the closure of the Georgia and Granville store.”
We asked London Drugs how staff responded to the rumours.
“This created unnecessary confusion with staff as they are used to hearing direct messaging internally from London Drugs.”
“It’s a people-first issue.”
@freshdailyvancouver The President and Chief Operating Officer of London Drugs is calling on all levels of government to address the rise in shoplifting, crime, violence, and vandalism that are affecting customers, retail employees, and businesses before the situation becomes irreversible and businesses are forced to close #Canada #Vancouver #Victoria #Nanaimo #Kelowna #Kamloops ♬ original sound – Freshdaily Vancouver
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