Downtown San Francisco Walgreens to close following months of rampant shoplifting

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The Walgreens at Van Ness and Eddy in San Francisco is set to close in about three weeks because of rampant shoplifting.

Chronicle insider and ABC7 news contributor Phil Matier reports theft has been happening for months and the store's shelves are empty or near-empty.

Most of the remaining products are locked behind plastic theft guards.

RELATED: Thief caught on video stealing from registers at SF businesses

Two businesses in San Francisco were hit by a thief that used the same tactic to steal money straight from the cash register.

Walgreens spokesman Phil Caruso said the store will close on Nov. 11 and it's the seventh Walgreens store to close in the city this year. According to the Chronicle, Caruso added, "the safety of our team members and customers is our top concern."

"All of us knew it was coming. Whenever we go in there, they always have problems with shoplifters, " longtime customer Sebastian Luke said to the Matier. He lives a block away and is a frequent customer who has been posting photos of the thefts for months.

You can read Phil Matier's columns in the Chronicle on Sundays and Wednesdays.