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Walgreens confirms store closures across US. Will RI see closures?

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Walgreens confirms store closures across US. Will RI see closures?

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Walgreens is planning to close a substantial number of stores in the United States, and Rhode Island locations could be included.

The pharmacy chain confirmed its plan to close underperforming stores in an emailed statement to USA TODAY 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.

“Finalizing significant multiyear footprint optimization program to close certain underperforming U.S. stores” was listed as one of the strategic goals going forward in the company’s fiscal report.

How many Walgreens locations are closing?

CEO of Walgreens’ parent company Tim Wentworth said to the Wall Street Journal that the company has not settled on a final number of locations to close.

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.

In 2023, Walgreens announced the closure of 150 stores in the United States. 200 locations closed in 2019.

Walgreens store closures in Rhode Island

It is currently unknown if any Walgreens stores in Rhode Island will close.

Walgreens has stores in communities across Rhode Island, and even had 11 Walgreens-backed VillageMD primary care clinics in Rhode Island. That is, until those clinics were sold to the Boston-based medical management company, Arches Medical Partners.

Walgreens still has locations in more than 20 Rhode Island cities and towns.

Matthew Korfhage and Gabe Hauari contributed to the reporting of this story.

Rin Velasco is a trending reporter. She can be reached at rvelasco@gannett.com.

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