Another blow to the retail world in southeast Shreveport. The Youree Drive corridor grew quickly and retail spots popped up from Southfield all the way out to Bert Kouns and beyond over the past 20 years. But that huge boom has slowed up a bit over the past couple of years.

Within the past 12 months, McDonalds and Burger King operations shut down. El Potrillo also closed its restaurant at Youree and 70th, opting to move to Bossier City.

The area has lost a host of other businesses over the past 5 years. Smashburger, Genghis Grill, Zaxby's, Krispy Kreme, Macaroni Grill, Free Birds, TGI Fridays, Boneheads and many other restaurants have closed. One of the big problems in the area is the high price of rent. But more recently finding workers has been a continuing problem.

Now we get the news that the CVS Pharmacy at the corner of Youree and 70th is closed. About a year ago, the national pharmacy chain announced it would be closing about 900 stores over the next three years.

Erin McCarty
Erin McCarty
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In a statement CVS says they are working to "implement a new retail footprint strategy aligned to evolving consumer needs." About 300 CVS stores will be closing each year over the next 3 years and the Shreveport location got the ax this month.

 

This big change is in response to the different ways people shop and the trends for health needs in the future. This move by CVS will trim about 10% of the companies stores. Workers have been given opportunities at nearby locations.

Is Youree Drive in a permanent spiral? Some say yes as we watch development boom in the Forbing area and along the Southern Loop. The new Kroger shopping complex there will soon have a new Brookshires at Norris Ferry and Southern Loop drawing even more customers away from the Youree Drive area.

There have also been complaints about the accessibility at the Youree Drive CVS store. Often, it is tough to get to that location when traffic is at it peak. We will have to wait and see if the building will be put to use for some other purpose.

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