NewsNation

Walgreens closing dozens of stores across 17 states: Here’s where

Addy Bink

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to include a statement from Walgreens, amend the location of the Brockton, Massachusetts, store, and remove a New York City location.

(NEXSTAR) – Dozens of Walgreens locations are preparing to close in the coming weeks and months after the pharmacy giant announced plans to shutter about 1,200 stores to turn around its struggling U.S. business. 


In October, Walgreens said about 500 store closures would happen during the fiscal year, but didn’t explain when the remainder would take place. 

As of Tuesday, however, some of its more than 8,000 stores have been marked for impending closure online. 

“This location will permanently close on May 22. We’re sorry for any inconvenience this may cause,” a banner on the location page for the Walgreens in East Haven, Connecticut, reads, offering customers information about transferring their prescriptions to another Walgreens. 

The dates vary across impacted stores, but there are two general groups: one, with closures occurring next week, and the other, with closures set for late June. 

An analysis by Nexstar found similar closing banners on the location pages for 54 stores across 17 states:

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Florida

Georgia

Illinois

Indiana

Maryland

Massachusetts

New Jersey

New York

North Carolina

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Texas

Washington

West Virginia

As of Tuesday, Nexstar found no stores in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, or Wyoming set for closure.

“We will continue to execute our previously announced turnaround plan aimed at stabilizing the retail pharmacy, including our footprint optimization program,” Walgreens said in a statement shared with Nexstar. “Increased regulatory and reimbursement pressures are weighing on our ability to cover the costs associated with rent, staffing, and supply needs. It is never an easy decision to close a store, and we know how important they are to the communities we serve and therefore do everything possible to improve their performance. When closures are necessary, we will work in partnership with community stakeholders to minimize customer disruptions.”

If your local Walgreens has closed or will soon, the drugstore chain says it is prepared to transfer your prescription to another one of its locations. That can be done during a refill process, by updating an auto refill, or using a delivery option. Additional details can be found on the Walgreens website.

Some communities may get a one-two punch of pharmacy closures. Rite Aid is preparing to close several of its locations, primarily in California and Pennsylvania, amidst its second bankruptcy filing. 

Since filing for bankruptcy protection earlier this month, Rite Aid has indicated more than 100 stores are slated for closure. Roughly all of its stores are also being listed for sale.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.