Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times
Rite Aid has announced the closure of 17 more Washington stores, including four Bartell Drugs locations, as part of its ongoing bankruptcy-related liquidation. The closures were listed in a recent court filing that added over 200 new shutdowns nationwide.
This latest round follows the announcement last month of 24 Washington closures, bringing the total to over 40 stores in the state impacted by the company’s bankruptcy. Rite Aid filed for Chapter 11 for the second time on May 5.
CVS recently agreed to purchase 64 unspecified Rite Aid and Bartell stores in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. However, these represent only a fraction of the approximately 190 locations Rite Aid operated in those states. Experts suggest that remaining unpurchased stores may be underperforming and likely to close.
The closures are contributing to concerns about limited pharmacy access in affected communities. As part of the process, prescription files from over 1,000 Rite Aid stores are being transferred to competitors, with CVS receiving files from 625 locations.
The number of Bartell Drugs stores may now fall to around 30, down from 68 at the time of Rite Aid’s 2020 acquisition.
