London Drugs president and chief operating officer Clint Mahlman has seen a lot in his nearly 40 years with the company, but he says the company has no plans to close stores due to escalating violence and theft, though the issue has reached a B次元官网网址渃risis pointB次元官网网址� for Canadian retailers.
Mahlman told The Canadian Press in an interview Wednesday that the company was disappointed to learn that a Vancouver city councillor said on social media that London Drugs was considering closing one of its main stores in the city, at the intersection of Granville and Georgia streets, due to crime.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e invested significant resources to ensure it remains a safe place to shop and work for our staff,B次元官网网址� he said.
Mahlman said thereB次元官网网址檚 no truth to the statement and it needlessly worried staff and customers.
B次元官网网址淭he key issue in all of this is the escalating violence, vandalism and economic loss,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲e are at a crisis point in retail, but nothing is close to being decided on any store closures.B次元官网网址�
Mahlman said closing any locations would be a last resort, and a matter between London Drugs and its landlords and employees, not the media and local politicians.
Retail theft and escalating violence has been an issue for many years, and working with police and government to combat the rise in organized theft remains a large concern, Mahlman said.
B次元官网网址淔rankly, we need all levels of government, including the City of Vancouver, to act now,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淐itizens, customers talk all the time about being afraid to walk the streets, particularly in the downtowns. ItB次元官网网址檚 not just a Vancouver issue. We hear this throughout the province.B次元官网网址�
Mahlman said thereB次元官网网址檚 been no decisions made about closing stores due to crime, but itB次元官网网址檚 not out of the question if nothing changes, and policymakers need to take heed of the toll on businesses caused by theft and violence.
Mahlman said itB次元官网网址檚 sad that repeat offenders have targeted retailers B次元官网网址渟eemingly without consequence.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 giving them licence to come back more often and create more crime,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭his isnB次元官网网址檛 petty theft. This is organized retail crime.B次元官网网址�
He said London Drugs staff have had to deal with B次元官网网址渉orribleB次元官网网址� acts of violence, and the company has had to train people to de-escalate dangerous situations to avoid violence.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e had staff hit with hatchets, stabbed, threats of knives, threats of needles, bear-sprayed, physical assault,B次元官网网址� he said.
He said London Drugs is a private company and couldnB次元官网网址檛 release exact numbers about the toll of theft on the companyB次元官网网址檚 operations, but said itB次元官网网址檚 in the ballpark of B次元官网网址渢ens of millionsB次元官网网址� each year.
B次元官网网址淭hat doesnB次元官网网址檛 include the replacement of broken windows and vandalism or the human toll of leaves of absence,B次元官网网址� he said.
Mahlman said thereB次元官网网址檚 no truth to reports of the company potentially closing its downtown Vancouver stores, but he said B次元官网网址渁ll options have to be on the table if we canB次元官网网址檛 get government help to deal with this.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淭hat includes the potential of closing stores in the future if nothing changes due to this escalating violence and vandalism and the economic loss,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淏ut at the end of the day, itB次元官网网址檚 about protecting our people from the repeat violent offenders.B次元官网网址�
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