Pharmacy Retail Giant to Shutter Hundreds of Stores Nationwide, with Heavy Impact on Florida and South Florida
Fort Lauderdale, FL. – Florida, which boasts more than 800 Walgreens stores across 349 cities, is expected to see significant closures. The state accounts for approximately 9% of all Walgreens pharmacy locations in the United States. While the exact number of store closures in Florida has not been disclosed, it is clear that the impact will be felt across the state, particularly in South Florida. Walgreens has been particularly coy when it comes to closing the Florida store.
According to ‘sources’ within the company, Walgreens plans to shutter over 200 underperforming stores nationwide, with approximately 70 locations in Florida slated for closure. Of those, nearly 30 are located in South Florida, including stores in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties.
Impact on South Florida Communities
The closures are expected to significantly impact communities across South Florida, particularly in low-income and minority neighborhoods where access to healthcare services is already limited. Many of the stores slated for closure are located in areas with high concentrations of Medicare and Medicaid recipients, who rely heavily on Walgreens for their prescription needs.