'NOT SURPRISED'
Popular convenience chain facing up to 10 permanent closures after one store alone lost $325k thanks to rampant crime
Plus, what longtime residents have to say about the potential closures
A POPULAR convenience store chain may be forced to shut down several locations due to rising crime and concerns about employee safety.
Officials from 7-Eleven, including the CEO of 7-Eleven Canada, told Winnipeg city officials that nearly a quarter of the city's 45 stores are on the brink of closure.
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According to a document shared with Winnipeg's city councilors, including Mynarski Councilor Ross Eadie and Point Douglas Councilor Vivian Santos, ten locations are at risk of closing.
Most of the stores are in Winnipeg's North End neighborhood, but there is also one in River Heights and one on Henderson Highway.
7-Eleven did not provide a timeline for when the stores might close.
"They asked Councillor Santos and I if we had any ideas how to resolve or stop this problem. And really what could I say?" Eadie said, as reported by the CBC.
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7-Eleven officials confirmed that there were 987 thefts, robberies, or other criminal incidents reported at those ten locations in the first quarter of 2024.
They noted that the figure was nearly equal to the total number of incidents reported in all of 2023, which totaled 1,098.
“They had mentioned that they can't continue to lose the amount of money and revenue with the amount of stealing that has occurred throughout the 10 stores," Santos said, as reported by CTV affiliate CKY-DT.
"It's just not sustainable,” Santos added.
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One store location at 119 Salter Street has dealt with over $323,500 worth of thefts so far in 2024.
The store's regular customers have grown accustomed to the robberies, noting that some type of retail theft happens "every single day."
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"We were just in there and somebody was trying to steal and like, it happens every single day," said Mallory Amond, who often visits the 7-Eleven with her daughter, Navaeh.
Mallory also noted that she's nervous about the convenience store's impending closure, as it would result in even fewer options for her to buy food and beverages near her home.
"I get where 7-Eleven is coming from, of wanting to close their stores, but at the same time, they're taking away business from people...that will actually want their services," she added.
Some customers were upset that the closures would disrupt their everyday routines.
7-Eleven Winnipeg Locations At Risk of Closure
7-Eleven currently has 45 locations in Winnipeg.
10 store locations are at risk of closing, including:
- 119 Salter St.
- 665 McPhillips St.
- 120 Keewatin St.
- 891 Arlington St.
- 1485 Inkster Blvd.
- 815 Ellice Ave.
- 456 Talbot Ave.
- 1184 Portage Ave.
- 1895 Wellington Ave.
- 909 Lorette Ave.
The Salter Street location has reportedly begun servicing customers through a plexiglass security window during the evening, banning shoppers from coming inside the store.
Shoppers, after being forced to wait in line outside of the convenience store, must then tell a 7-Eleven employee what they want to purchase, e.g. snacks, beverages, or other essentials.
The employee then retrieves the items, and, after a shopper pays for their purchase, hands over the items to the shopper through a secure bin, similar to those found in mailboxes or library return slots.
Not all 7-Eleven locations have resorted to such drastic measures.
However, that particular location has lost over $323,000 due to shoplifting alone.
David Gaumond, a frequent customer, said that "after a certain time of the day there's nothing open," in his neighborhood besides 7-Eleven.
The chain's convenient location and hours allow him to stock up on essentials even when other retailers and grocery chains close their doors.
He also cited the chain's popular Slurpee drink as one of the reasons he hopes the store stays open.
“Being a Slurpee fan and a drink fan and all the goodies that 7-Eleven does bring, I'm a frequent flyer, so yeah, it did hit home,” Gaumond added.
Winnipeg, the largest city and capital of the province of Manitoba, Canada, has held onto a decades-long title as the Slurpee Capital of the World.
On average, 7-Eleven stores across Winnipeg sell an average of nearly 190,000 Slurpees per month, accounting for about 7.6% of the 30 million Slurpees sold each year in Canada.
Winnipeg city councilor Santos also cited food insecurity within the community, adding that closing down even one of the 7-Eleven locations would cause a bigger food and beverage gap residents aren't prepared for.
"If these stores like such a major chain like 7-Eleven closes, you know, that's going to continue on with the food insecurity in our community," she said.
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Winnipeg city councilors Eadie and Santos suggested hiring security guards, adding more security cameras, and even limiting the number of individuals allowed to shop inside at one time.
Many businesses in Winnipeg's North End neighborhood, an area already infamous for high crime rates, have even instituted "locked-door" policies, forcing customers to knock on doors or ring doorbells to be let inside.
However, incorporating even a few of those security measures come with added costs that 7-Eleven Canada isn't prepared to shell out, especially given the significant amounts of retail shrink.
Harvey Veaumont, a longtime Winnipeg resident, has lived across the street from the Salter store for 17 years.
He says he sees "people walking out with armloads of apparently stolen items," and claims that the culprits tend to be "the younger kids" who believe they're untouchable by law enforcement officials.
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Like many residents, Loren Remillard, the president of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, is "not surprised" by the impending closures.
"Businesses have been saying for a long time, we're having challenges," he added, citing the need for "more enforcement" and "tougher consequences for chronic thieves."
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