Walgreen's closing 76 under performing Stores

[ynkeesfn82]

Walgreen's plans on closing 76 under performing stores.

http://www.courant.com/business/hc-walgreen-to-close-76-stores-0325-20140325,0,6932872.story

[JoshAustin610]

I'm guessing a bunch of these will be Duane Reades in Manhattan; even chain stores are being forced out of locations due to skyrocketing rent (Barnes & Noble has closed several stores there in recent years for that reason).

[TRU7536]

I'm guessing a bunch of these will be Duane Reades in Manhattan; even chain stores are being forced out of locations due to skyrocketing rent (Barnes & Noble has closed several stores there in recent years for that reason).

I would rather they close Walgreens before Duane Reade. I never seen a empty DR before while in NYC, it really is NYC's drug store.

[Stork of The Weak]

A number of these also will probably be former Happy Harry's stores that were bought by Walgreens back in 2006 or 2007. Happy Harry's was a chain mostly in Delaware that had a small handful of stores in Pennsylvania. I think Walgreens bought the chain only because Rite Aid was buying Eckerd and Brooks around the same time. Also around the same time the Clemens chain of supermarkets in southeastern PA was sold to Giant. It's amazing Giant was allowed to buy the vast majority of Clemens stores (some closed right away and others became Super Fresh, but most of those ended up closing anyway) but was blocked by the FTC from buying the very few Super G stores in PA about ten years earlier.

But back to Walgreens, maybe a few more of the stores now closing will be any remaining former Medimart stores that haven't been able to relocate to drive-thru pharmacy Walgreens sites. Medimart was a chain owned by Stop & Shop (which also owned Bradlees and wasn't a part of Ahold then) that was sold to Walgreens in 1986. I figure the main reason for pulling the plug on Medimart was the fact that in 1982, the Super Stop & Shop stores were first launched, most of which had pharmacies of their own. Most Medimart stores were in Stop & Shop/Bradlees-anchored centers.

[MikeRa]

Also around the same time the Clemens chain of supermarkets in southeastern PA was sold to Giant. It's amazing Giant was allowed to buy the vast majority of Clemens stores (some closed right away and others became Super Fresh, but most of those ended up closing anyway) but was blocked by the FTC from buying the very few Super G stores in PA about ten years earlier.

Most of the Clemens that have closed that I knowe of were the ones that becmae superfresh.  The exception was the Abington, PA Giant

[TheFugitive]

Was in Walgreens the other day, and the cashier who rang me out
sent me off with "Thank you, and Be Well!"

Have had this creepy feeling I'm living in Demolition Man ever since.

[JoshAustin610]

Yep, since their whole ad campaign right now is about being happy and healthy, they're supposed to tell everyone to "be well" as they leave.

[Stork of The Weak]

If the Times Square Walgreens (which is three floors) closes, I hope it can be put to another retail use. Unfortunately Walgreens probably signed a contract somewhere to stop another drugstore chain from taking the site. I would love to see either Rite Aid or CVS open there (only if Walgreens closes, that is) because neither of those chains have ever had stores quite so innovative as this particular store.

[MikeRa]

If the Times Square Walgreens (which is three floors) closes, I hope it can be put to another retail use. Unfortunately Walgreens probably signed a contract somewhere to stop another drugstore chain from taking the site. I would love to see either Rite Aid or CVS open there (only if Walgreens closes, that is) because neither of those chains have ever had stores quite so innovative as this particular store.

i doubt Walgreens will close the 3 floor flagship store in Times Square.  I doubt they will close their flagship store in Philadelphia, at South Broad and Chestnut Streets, in the former John Wanamaker's Mens Store/Philadelphia National Bank building.

[Stork of The Weak]

That store was more recently a Borders bookstore. Unfortunately the one in Springfield PA is still empty, and a third of the one in Glen Mills PA (in the same county on the same street) is still empty, though one third is now a Charming Charlie and the other third is a Clarks shoe store. This center also has a Coldwater Creek which is in half of the former Zagara's/former FoodSource, so things are looking bad for this center.