National pharmacy chain Rite Aid has announced that over 150 locations will permanently close after the corporation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this week, according to The Hill. While the company hasn't revealed when these stores are closing, the locations were deemed "underperforming" in court filings submitted on Monday (October 16).
Reporters obtained court documents and compiled a full list of all the stores closing by state. Here are the Washington State stores shutting down for good:
- 5201 601 South Grady Way, Ste. P, Renton
- 5204 3202 132nd Street, S.E., Mill Creek
- 5227 110 SW 148th Street, Burien
- 5231 10103 Evergreen Way, Everett
- 5280 8230 Martin Way, East Lacey
- 6521 22201 Meridian Avenue, E Graham
- 6908 9600 15th Ave SW, Seattle
- 6915 2518 196th St SW, Lynnwood
- 6920 3620 Factoria Blvd SE, Bellevue
- 6927 11919 NN 8th Street, Bellevue
- 6952 7370 170th Ave NE, Redmond
In a Sunday (October 15) letter addressed to customers, Rite Aid CEO Jeffrey S. Stein said they're not going out of business. He wrote, “We recognize the important role we play in serving you and meeting your healthcare needs, so we want to make sure you understand what this means for you."
They'll continue to serve customers online and in-store, but the beleaguered chain told Insider they'll be transferring patients' prescriptions to other pharmacies.
The company is also planning on selling dozens of store leases, including six Rite Aid locations and three Bartell Drugs stores in the Evergreen State. Seattle residents are particularly miffed about this development since Bartell Drugs was a family-owned chain founded in the Emerald City back in 1890.
Rite Aid purchased the historic business in 2020 and closed six of Bartell's 67 locations since then. The most recent closure was the 24-hour Queen Anne store, which shuttered on September 10, according to KOMO.