2 days ago
Another Rite Aid location to close in Bakersfield as chain whittles itself down by 500 stores nationwide
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — One by one, it may seem, Bakersfield-area Rite Aid stores are closing, part of a series of shutdowns as the 1,200-store chain scales back its nationwide footprint amid its second bankruptcy in as many years.
The Philadelphia-based company, once the third-largest drug store chain in the country, announced Tuesday it was closing its store at Ming and South H, putting 21 jobs in jeopardy – this, just a day after it formalized the pending closure, in about a month, of stores at Mount Vernon and Bernard Street and Panama Lane near Old River Road. It was also announced the location at 11200 Olive Drive would be closing on July 7. Altogether, Rite Aid announced 111 store closures Tuesday, bringing the grand total to 500 thus far, nationwide.
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Shelves were almost barren and customers were few at the Rite Aid on South H, and employees indicated off camera that additional Bakersfield area Rite Aids would eventually close. That certainly looked to be possible at the downtown Rite Aid at 23rd and H, where shelves were as barren as those on South H.
Fans of Rite Aid's iconic Thrifty ice cream counter had to be disappointed – that show is over, although the downtown store had cartons of a half dozen flavors still in the freezer case. Thrifty ice cream, for now anyway, appears to be a do it yourself affair.
The news is better for Rite Aid's pharmacy operation. Rite Aid said on May 15th it 'successfully entered into a series of sale agreements and pharmacy services transition agreements' that will transfer pharmacy assets from more than 1,000 Rite Aid locations to CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens, Albertsons, Kroger and other operators.
What becomes of Rite Aid's physical stores and its employees is less clear. Rite Aid has said it will transfer affected employees wherever possible.
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