Rite Aid announced this week that it’s closing its last remaining pharmacy and store in Pottsville.
A company spokesperson tells The Canary, the location at 500 N. Claude A. Lord Blvd, near the Pottsville Park Plaza (where it was originally located), will close for good on June 16. However, the pharmacy operation there will close on May 16.
Rite Aid closed its downtown Pottsville location in September 2023. A month later, it announced it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and was implementing a “footprint optimization” plan.
“Rite Aid regularly assesses its retail footprint to ensure we are operating efficiently while meeting the needs of our customers, communities, associates and overall business.
The decision to close a store is not one we take lightly. The Company, with the assistance of its advisors, carefully considers various factors in its decision-making, including business strategy, lease and rent considerations, local business conditions and viability, and store performance,” the spokesperson said via email.
The company still operates stores in Minersville, Tamaqua, Frackville, Ashland, Shenandoah, and Mahanoy City.
As of now, Rite Aid tells The Canary there is no immediate plan to close other locations in Schuylkill County.
For customers of this Rite Aid locations, their prescriptions will be available at the CVS pharmacy at 28 N. Claude A. Lord Blvd. in Pottsville. That transfer happens automatically. Customers can also opt to transfer their prescriptions to another pharmacy and they can contact that pharmacy to get the process started, the spokesperson said.
Rite Aid also says that 75% of the employees at stores the company has closed have accepted jobs at other store locations.
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