Members of the Castro Merchants Association at their November 4 meeting expressed dismay with a recent decision by Safeway to reduce hours at its Castro-area store due to increased shoplifting.
Dave Karraker, a gay man who is a merchants board member and co-owner of MX3 Fitness on Market Street, was upset about the recent news that the Safeway on upper Market Street between Church and Dolores streets will no longer be open 24 hours a day due to what Safeway called "out of control" theft of its retail items.
The Safeway will now be open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. The reduction in hours at the Safeway comes on the heels of Walgreens' announcement it is closing five more San Francisco locations as a result of rampant theft, though Mayor London Breed