29-05-2025
Rite Aid closures adding up. Is your favorite Tacoma-area store on the list?
More Rite Aid/Bartell stores are closing in Washington state as a result of the chain's latest bankruptcy proceedings.
A court filing entered May 23 included the following locations in the state among 151 additional stores set to close nationwide:
▪ Auburn: 1509 Auburn Way S.
▪ Maple Valley: 22117 SE 237th St. (Bartell Drugs)
▪ Milton: 900 East Meridian Suite 23
▪ Port Orchard: 3282 Bethel Road S.E.
▪ University Place: 3840 Bridgeport Way W.
Thirteen sites in the state, mostly Rite Aid but a few involving its subsidiary Bartell Drug, have been slated as closing, including previously announced locations in Anacortes, Ephrata, Granite Falls, Kingston, North Bend, Omak, Snoqualmie and Yelm.
No specific closure dates were included, and Rite Aid representatives as of Wednesday afternoon had not responded to The News Tribune's request for more information.
The Idaho Statesman reported this week that two Idaho stores added to the latest list are slated to close in June, with the retail and pharmacies closing on different dates.
A Worker Adjustment and Training Notification filing with the state of Washington on May 7 listed 131 layoffs with Bartell Drug (Rite Aid) Distribution Center in Des Moines starting June 4.
Both Bartell and Rite Aid have imposed deadlines for returns and gift card use as of June 5, and Rite Aid Rewards points stopped being issued on May 6.
Rite Aid in mid-May announced that it had entered into a series of 'sale agreements and pharmacy services transition agreements' involving more than 1,000 stores.
In Washington state, it noted the 'the sale and operation by CVS Pharmacy of many Rite Aid and Bartell Drugs stores located in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.'
Amy Thibault is executive director, corporate communications – external Affairs for CVS Health. In an emailed statement, she told The News Tribune earlier this month, 'CVS Pharmacy participated in a bankruptcy court approved bidding process and has agreed to acquire the prescription files of 625 Rite Aid pharmacies across fifteen states in areas that CVS serves and to acquire and operate 64 Rite Aid stores in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.'
CVS's bids were approved May 21 by the The U.S. Bankruptcy Court of New Jersey, and a release from CVS stated, 'Additional details will be available closer to the transaction closing dates in the coming weeks.'
Sites that remain on Rite Aid's website as open in Pierce County include two stores in Tacoma (1912 N. Pearl St. and 7041 Pacific Ave.) stores in Bonney Lake, Lakewood and Spanaway and four locations in Puyallup. Bartell has three sites remaining in Pierce County (two in Tacoma, one in Gig Harbor).
As for the switch, Thibault said CVS was working to ensure a 'seamless' transition for patients and customers with no interruptions of pharmacy care.
'Once the sale is finalized, we look forward to welcoming Rite Aid colleagues who are interested in applying to join the CVS team.'
