Walgreens announces 'significant' closures. What pharmacies have closed in Delaware?

Matthew Korfhage and Gabe Hauari, Delaware News Journal
Updated ·4 min read
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Walgreens is planning to close a substantial number of stores in the United States.

The pharmacy chain confirmed its plan to close underperforming stores in an emailed statement to USA TODAY on Thursday morning after the parent company, Walgreens Boots Alliance, disclosed the news in its 2024 third-quarter fiscal results.

In the statement, a Walgreens spokesperson said the company is repositioning its store footprint, noting that about 25% of its stores are not contributing to the chain's long-term strategy.

The spokesperson also said the company is working on a program to close a significant portion of these locations over the next three years.

Tim Wentworth, CEO of Walgreens' parent company Walgreens Boots Alliance, said in an interview with CNBC that the company now forecasts weaker consumer spending for the rest of the year.

This news follows a number of pharmacy closures and restructurings, as pharmacies face lower reimbursement rates from pharmaceutical brokers, short staffing, and mass walkouts among pharmacists at Walgreens and CVS who alleged that the low staffing levels compromised patient safety and created poor working conditions.

So how many Walgreens stores will close? And what pharmacies have already closed in Delaware, among the major chains? Here's what we know.

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How many Walgreens locations are closing?

Walgreens earnings amid announcement it would be closing underperforming U.S. stores.
Walgreens earnings amid announcement it would be closing underperforming U.S. stores.

Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO Wentworth said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that the company has not settled on a final number of locations to close. Last year, they told USA TODAY they would close 150 locations across the United States by the end of the fiscal year that ended May 2024. In earnings calls this year, officials said a recent corporate restructuring had also disposed of 10% of their corporate and U.S. support office roles.

Walgreens operates roughly 8,700 stores in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to its website.

Wentworth also told the Wall Street Journal that Walgreens will reduce its stake in primary-care provider VillageMD and will no longer be the company's majority owner.

Wentworth said the company is focused on improving its core business: retail pharmacy. The company is launching a "retail pharmacy action plan" that will "invest in and deliver an improved customer and patient experience across channels," according to the strategic review section of the fiscal results.

According to his interview with the WSJ, Wentworth said the company expects that it will be able to reassign staffers so that its U.S. retail footprint reduction "doesn't result in a meaningful loss of jobs."

Delaware store closures for CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid

A sign inside a Walgreens Pharmacy in 2021 tells patrons that the pharmacy is closed. Damian Giletto/Delaware News Journal
A sign inside a Walgreens Pharmacy in 2021 tells patrons that the pharmacy is closed. Damian Giletto/Delaware News Journal

At least five Delaware Walgreens stores have closed or announced they would close since November 2023, part of a company roll-up announced last summer.

Philadelphia-based Rite Aid, reeling from high debt and lawsuits accusing the company of overprescribing opioids, has announced it would close as many as 500 stores during a Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring that began in October. Rite Aid continues to close Delaware stores in 2024.

CVS, meanwhile announced in 2021 that it would close 900 stores between 2022 and 2024. In January, the chain said it would close "dozens" of pharmacies inside Target stores, but did not specify specific locations.

Walgreens closures in Delaware since October 2023

  • 1900 Maryland Ave., near Elsmere (closed February 2024)

  • 4201 Concord Pike, Talleyville (closed November 2023)

  • 3301 Lancaster Pike, Greenville (closed November 2023)

  • 124 E. Main St., Newark (closed November 2023)

  • 32979 Coastal Highway, Bethany Beach (closed November 2023)

Delaware Online/USA Today Network has asked Walgreens spokespeople whether a new wave of closures is planned in Delaware. Spokespeople did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Rite Aid closures in Delaware since October 2023

  • 17069 S Dupont Highway, Harrington (closed January 2024)

  • 1602 Capitol Trail, near Newark (closed January 2024)

  • 263 S. Main St., Newark (closed January 2024)

  • 3209 Kirkwood Highway, near Prices Corner (closed November 2023)

  • 2713 Philadelphia Pike, Claymont (closed November 2023)

  • 25 Chestnut Hill Plaza, near Newark (closed October 2023)

Another Rite Aid, at 1999 Pulaski Highway (Route 40) in Bear, closed as part of an earlier round of closures.

Delaware CVS closures since 2023

Though the company has announced plans for closings across the country, no Delaware closures of CVS locations occurred in 2023, said spokesperson Amy Thibault. No specific CVS closings were planned for Delaware in 2024, as of February.

Matthew Korfhage is a business and development reporter in Delaware. Aware of another Delaware pharmacy that's closing? Let him know at mkorfhage@delawareonline.com.

Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Walgreens closing stores in US. Are Delaware pharmacies included?