Store replaces stock with photos of items amid shoplifting and crime crisis

28 October 2023 , 20:05

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CVS has replaced items on shelves with photographs (Image: JoeyMannarinoUS/X)

A store has been forced to replace its stock with images of items instead as it faces a massive shoplifting crisis.

The CVS pharmacy in Washington DC has placed framed photographs on its shelves showing a range of items they have available. Shelves that were once adorned with toilet paper and kitchen towels now have images of the items instead. It comes as one CVS store in DC has repeatedly faced looting from gangs of teenagers.

Other pharmacies in the states have been impacted by the shoplifting crisis. CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens are set to close a total of over 1,500 stores over the next few months. Images of the CVS store show a sign which says "press button". Customers are asked to press the button for assistance where a worker can then retrieve the product for them.

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Conservative commentator Joey Mannarino shared images of the store to X, formerly known as Twitter, describing it as "This is the third world!" He said: "This is from the CVS on H Street in Washington DC. Due to the out-of-control theft, they have now put away almost all their items and just have photographs of what is in stock. You press the button and the sales associate gets you what you need. I was in Barcelona, Spain a few months ago and saw Mac laptops sitting out in the middle of the store. This is how we have to live in America now? This is the third world!"

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A 'press button' for assistance is needed for customers to get the items they need (JoeyMannarinoUS/X)

Pharmacy chain CVS has announced it is closing 900 stores across the US by the end of 2024 - amounting to 10% of all its stores - due to a shoplifting crimewave. The National Retail Federation has said that it is costing the industry $112 billion a year. Mr Mannarino shared other images where he referenced a recent trip to Barcelona where MacBooks are out in boxes on the shop floor. He questioned "Where has America gone wrong?"

Empty shelves are the result of prolific shop lifting (FOX)

The issue was discussed on Fox 5 and reporter Sierra Fox told viewers that when you walk into a CVS store there is "barely anything on the shelves." She said: "I did ask an employee what gets stolen the most, and they just laughed and said everything. A big group of kids, like 45 or more, walk in before school, after school and late at night to steal chips and drinks. They even throw the food and beverages on the ground and stomp on them, leaving behind a big mess."

Meanwhile, in Barcelona, MacBooks are on display on the shop flooor (JoeyMannarinoUS/X)

With the large number of pharmacies closing over the next year, many Americans face living in a "pharmacy desert" and face having to travel miles to access medication. Dima Qato, an associate professor at the University of Southern California, said: "According to our estimates, about one in four neighbourhoods are pharmacy deserts across the country. These closures are disproportionately affecting communities that need pharmacies most."

Lydia Stephens