ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – While music is playing outside of the Walgreens at Central and San Mateo on Monday, it won’t be for much longer. The store is closing its doors for good next month, leaving shoppers in the area with even fewer options. This comes after the Walmart up the road closed its doors in March.
“It affects everybody, down to everybody, simply everybody,” Daniel Luna, a shopper said.
“A lot of people, they’re going to be affected ’cause there’s not a lot of places now,” Darren Nez, a shopper said.
While Walgreens said they’re shutting down for a variety of reasons, others who shop there believe there’s one big factor: crime.
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“Before the security patrols around here and before they put the music, there was a lot of people here, especially at that bus stop. It’s always crowded,” Nez said. “I understand, and a lot of shoplifting, pretty sure that’s why they closed the Walmart down the street.”
Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina has been putting pressure on Walgreens in recent months, even sending a letter to the drugstore chain about security concerns at locations all across the city.
“If I was a business owner, I wouldn’t want to put people through any danger or anything or lose out on money.”
The store will close for good on November 7. Customers’ prescriptions will automatically transfer to the nearest Walgreens at Central and Girard.
