DTES London Drugs considering closing over crime, money

Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside is facing a troubling reality: one of its few remaining retail staples, London Drugs, located in the Woodward’s Building, could soon shut down.

President Clint Mahlman says the store has hemorrhaged over $10 million since opening in 2009.

“It’s one of the largest money-losing locations we have in our chain,” Mahlman told 1130 NewsRadio.

The root cause of the store’s financial struggles? A relentless safety crisis with no end in sight.

Vandalism, theft, and escalating violence have become daily challenges, turning the area into a no-go zone for customers and a dangerous workplace for employees.

“The safety of our employees and customers is our biggest concern. Our employees have been assaulted, both physically and verbally. And we’re not seeing customers return, because they feel the street disorder is creating an uncomfortable shopping experience,” Mahlman said.

The situation isn’t unique to London Drugs. Nester’s Market, owned by the Jim Pattison Group and also located in the Woodward’s Building on the corner of East Hastings and Abbott Street, is grappling with similar issues at one of its “most challenging sites.”

“Crime in this area has steadily increased over the last decade, but in the past two years, we have seen the number of violent incidents increase by more than 400 per cent,” the Pattison Food Group said in a statement.

“We have met with government officials at both provincial and municipal levels to continue to express our concern for public safety in all our communities and urge them to work together to support our communities. Team member and customer safety is our top priority, and we will continue to work closely with our landlords and the Vancouver Police Department, knowing we may also need to make a very difficult decision in the future regarding this site,” the statement added.

Mahlman emphasized that London Drugs has been working closely with the city and province to address the crisis. In October, additional police funding helped reduce violence and theft in the area, offering some hope.

“We do have a right to terminate our lease that’s coming up at the end of this year, and we’re going to do everything possible to justify staying there, but it is a very difficult decision,” Mahlman said.