NYC News

Under Lock & Key: NYC Pharmacies Going to Extreme Measures to Prevent Thefts
March 1, 2025, 4:58.09 pm ET

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Photos: Cititour.com

While many pharmacies across New York City are shutting down, others are taking extreme measures to avoid rampant theft. Cititour recently passed a Brooklyn pharmacy with a sign in the window stating this store is “not closing.” What was happening was even more astonishing. Virtually every product is now under lock and key. Aisle after aisle of glass enclosed cabinets have been installed. A worker over a loud speaker is summoned by shoppers to retrieve individual items.




Everything from Tide Detergent to Cheez-Its and cereal were locked away. The only things not locked up were the Birthday cards and the Easter Bunny, at least for now.

In the last year alone, Duane Reade shuttered 22 stores in New York, CVS had a net decline of 10 stores, and Rite Aid reduced its footprint by 8 stores, according to a recent study. While another report stated that nearly half of all New York City drug stores have closed in the past decade.

Many blame lax laws for the surge in thefts. Ine New York, shoplifting is a misdemeanor if the stolen goods are worth less than $1,000. If the stolen goods are worth more than $1,000, it's a felony.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced a five-point plan to combat organized retail theft. The changes Increase criminal penalties for anyone who assaults a retail worker and allows prosecutors to combine the value of stolen goods when they file larceny charges.

According to recent statistics from Capital One, stores nationwide lost $121.6 billion to retail theft in 2023; projections indicate shoplifting could cost retailers over $150 billion in 2026. A New York Post investigation finds, Shoplifting and other retail theft already cost New York businesses an estimated $4.4 billion in 2022 and the yearly toll is likely over $5 billion now.

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