Northeast-based convenience store Wawa announced Thursday that two of its Center City Philadelphia locations will be shutting down due to safety and security concerns.Wawa is closing two Center City Philadelphia stores because of “continued safety and security challenges and business factors,” according to a statement from the company.
The beloved convenience store chain says it is closing stores at 12th and Market streets and 19th and Market streets. 》A spokesperson said, “All associates from these two stores will be offered continued employment at Wawa. These two closures do not necessarily impact or limit the potential for future stores in Philadelphia County. We continue to be focused on doing everything we can to monitor.”
“It’s getting worse, it’s getting worse. I don’t even understand why they keep doing this. It doesn’t make any sense,” said customer Virginia Carrington of West Philadelphia.
The convenience stores to be closed in Center City are located at 12th and Market streets and 19th and Market streets.
“Despite reducing hours and investing in additional operational measures, continued safety and security challenges and business factors have made it increasingly difficult to remain open in these two locations,” the company said in a statement. “All associates from these two stores will be offered continued employment at Wawa. These two closures do not necessarily impact or limit potential for future stores in Philadelphia County.”Last month, Wawa closed some of its city stores early when groups of young people ransacked stores in the area. On Sept. 24, a Wawa in Northeast Philadelphia was ransacked by hundreds of people. Video of the chaos and destruction went viral.
In the company statement, Wawa said “these closures do not diminish in anyway our on-going commitment to serve the Philadelphia community or our acknowledgment of the effort and support we continue to receive from local police.”
The company statement also noted that Wawa’s “commitment and ongoing investments in Philadelphia continue to grow and expand. The stores at 12th and Market Streets and 19th and Market will be shut down “over the next few weeks,” Wawa spokesperson Lori Bruce said in a statement.
“Despite reducing hours and investing in additional operational measures, continued safety and security challenges and business factors have made it increasingly difficult to remain open in these two locations,” Bruce said.
The “difficult decision” was made after careful deliberation and significant efforts to overcome “external operating challenges,” Bruce said.
Why this is happening? ●Police statistics based on crime reports show that in the last two years, there were 42 incidents around the Wawa at 19th and Market. Thirty-four of those were theft reports.
The Wawa at 12th and Market had 19 reported incidents, including 15 thefts.
The location in Philadelphia with the most incidents, according to police numbers for the last two years, was the Wawa at 33 S. 16th St., with 156. All but five were reported thefts.
Despite the large group leaving the store in shambles, no arrests were made. Instead, the officers simply dispersed the crowd.
“Why didn’t they arrest anybody?” anti-violence activist Bilal Qayyum asked the Philadelphia Inquirer. “If you are in the store and literally stealing, you’ve got to be held accountable.”