Major drugstore chain closing more stores (locations revealed)

The retailer is trying to turn things around.

Mar 20, 2025 - 13:17

Major drugstore chain closing more stores (locations revealed)

Unless you're one of the biggest and strongest retailers in the world, now is probably not the optimal time to start expanding your business.

High interest rates, fickle consumer taste, rising prices, and changes in shopping trends have made the past several years in the space particularly volatile.

The early 2020s have been marked by a period of particular difficulty, and almost nobody is immune from the struggles.

Of course, the beginning of 2020 brought COVID-19 and, with it, all the pains now associated with retail.

First, it shuttered almost every shop for some period of time. Many of us were forced to stay at home and find alternative ways to get our goods. And most of the time, that meant turning to online retailers to fulfill everything from groceries to apparel.

And once things began to reopen, not everybody came out on the other side. Small or struggling retailers found it difficult to operate for months with reduced or no foot traffic. Many were forced to close for good.

Many retailers still struggling

And now that we're five years on from the pandemic, many retailers are still feeling the effects.

The rise of retail crime and inventory shrink, or the industry term for the loss of goods not due to sales, has risen dramatically in the last five years.

Many retailers have claimed the rise of theft has cut into profits, and there's no easy way to combat the increasing issue.

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This is particularly the case for drug stores, many of which are located in urban or high-foot-traffic areas. So they get a lot of visitors, but some of them are desperate, especially as the cost of goods and services continues to increase.

Many pharmacies are taking outsized measures to combat this issue. Some are spending big on amped up security, like cameras and locking up inventory. But this can also cut into profits, as customers are less likely to make a purchase when they have to ask for assistance.

Top drugstore closing more stores

And now, Walgreens WBA is announcing it will shutter more stores in New England as it works to shore up profits and prevent losses.

“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,” Walgreens said in a statement. “When closures are necessary, we will work in partnership with community stakeholders to minimize customer disruptions.”

Walgreens is closing nine locations in Massachusetts in two in Connecticut.

The locations are:

38 W Main St. in Norton, MA
525 Boston Post Road E in Marlborough, MA
85 Huttleston Ave. in Fairhaven, MA
99 Westfield St. in West Springfield, MA
32 Union St. in Easthampton, MA
625 Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge, MA
757 Gallivan Blvd. in Boston, MA
800 River St. in Haverhil, MA
256 Pleasant St. in Methuen, MA
1083 Boston Post Rd. Milford, CT
311 East Main St. Middletown, CT

Several other locations in Connecticut, including in New Haven, Waterbury, and Hartford, are also planning to close.

Walgreens expects to close about 1,200 stores by 2028.