Walgreens is closing a longtime location in Chicago because of runaway theft, shuttering one of the few remaining pharmacies in that portion of the South Side.
On June 4, the pharmacy chain is suspending its location at 86th and Cottage Grove, according to a report from WFLD-TV.
Walgreens Regional Vice President Reginald Johnson said at a town hall that the closure was “the last resort” — but was made necessary by high levels of theft.
“I’m here today because we’re closing the store at 86th and Cottage Grove. But I just want to make sure everyone understands closing stores are not our goal,” he said.
BREAKING: Walgreens reveals the Chicago South Side store they are shuttering after 20 years, lost $1 million mainly due to theft last year, which is 4x the company average, while they spent $400k a year on security and employees still got assaulted.
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) May 11, 2026
“Theft at this store is 16 percent,” Johnson added. “That’s four times above the company average.”
Some residents called the store closure a sign of disinvestment in the black community that will worsen a lack of locations where prescriptions can be filled.
But Walgreens District Manager Jason Vasquez said the decision only came after unsuccessful efforts to stop thievery.
“Lock boxes help us protect the merchandise in the store. A lot of the time, those lock boxes were getting destroyed. And that’s at a great cost to the company,” he remarked.
“We’ve had people jump across the counters, because we sell liquor behind the counter, taking liquor, cigarettes,” Vasquez continued.
Walgreens was spending $400,000 per year on store security guards — but still experienced the high levels of theft, as well as attacks on employees.
Lonnie Fuqua, the manager of the location, added that such activity “wears down” over the course of time.
BREAKING: 🚨Another Walgreens is shutting down including its longtime “Chatham store” on Chicago’s South Side.
Store closes June 4th after $1 MILLION in losses in 2025 and THEFT rates at 4X the company average.
Businesses are fleeing Brandon Johnson’s crime wave by the… pic.twitter.com/xhzOyuqx3W
— Hunter Eagleman™ (@Hunter_Eagleman) May 12, 2026
“Not so much the financial piece but the endurance of that day in and day out,” Fuqua described.
The next nearest Walgreens location — which is offering prescriptions by mail — is just over a mile away.
Fuqua added that “for seniors, there’s some solutions that have been put in place where you’ll get free delivery.”
“That has started already for those medications you may have that under the law, can be delivered,” Fuqua commented.
WMAQ-TV reported in 2025 that five Walgreens stores in Chicago were scheduled for closure between Feb. 17 and Feb. 27 of that year alone — with none of the closures happening in the suburbs.
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