CVS closure at Town & Country is second shuttering of local retail pharmacy

John Cox, The Bakersfield Californian
·2 min read

Aug. 15—Another national-chain pharmacy has closed a store in Bakersfield, reflecting an industry trend that impacts local shopping centers.

The CVS that for years served as a co-anchor of the Town & Country Village Shopping Center recently closed its doors for good. Its closure follows not long after the Walgreens on Chester Avenue shut down just north of Brundage Lane.

A spokeswoman for Rhode Island-based CVS Pharmacy Inc. said by email Tuesday the closure of its store at the northwest corner of Stockdale Highway and Coffee Road was in line with the company's November 2021 realignment announcement that it planned to close 900 stores. Three hundred were shut last year, and another 300 are expected to be vacated this year.

"The realignment is based on our evaluation of changes in population, consumer buying patterns and future health needs to ensure we have the right kinds of stores in the right locations for consumers," spokeswoman Amy Thibault wrote. She noted some of the company's stores will become community health destinations.

Reuters reported on CVS' disclosure early this month that it eliminated about 5,000 non-customer-facing positions as it works to cut costs after a series of acquisitions.

CVS continues to operate at about a dozen locations in Bakersfield.

A representative of the Town & Country center said the company indicated it was divesting stores as part of a plan to become more of a health-care provider than retailer.

"It wouldn't surprise me if we saw other ones close," said Secretary Joey Skracic at S.A. Camp Cos. He added that smaller, corner pharmacies may survive, especially those with drive-thrus.

Meanwhile, Skracic sees positive changes ahead for the shopping center. "We're excited about the prospects of us refilling the space," he said.

Retail property broker Vince Roche at Cushman & Wakefield in Bakersfield pointed out the CVS at Town & Country did not have a drive-thru, and that as pharmacies get smaller, that location was relatively large.

He said Town & Country continues to benefit from an exceptional location that benefits from its proximity to the Westside Parkway.