Rite Aid, the well-known nationwide drugstore chain, has announced some painful news for Ohio residents. The company, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on October 15, 2023, is continuing to shut down numerous locations across the U.S. As part of this ongoing process, Rite Aid has just announced the closure of 30 more stores, with 16 of these in Ohio and another 14 in Michigan.
This isn’t the first wave of closures for Rite Aid. Just a few days before, on June 21, they filed to close 22 stores, including eight in Ohio. Earlier in the month, on June 17, they announced the closure of another 27 stores, 16 of which were also in Ohio. In total, June has seen Rite Aid filing notices to close 85 locations, with a staggering 44 of these being in Ohio alone. Since they began these shutdowns, the company has closed 434 stores in total.
The impact of these closures is significant, especially for lower-income communities. As these essential retail stores shut their doors, residents are forced to travel further to access pharmacy services. This creates what’s being called ‘pharmacy deserts,’ where the lack of nearby drugstores makes it harder for people to get their medications. For many, this means longer commutes and higher transportation costs, adding another layer of difficulty to their daily lives.