By Mary O’KEEFE

It was a surprise to many, to even some of its employees, that Rite Aid at 2647 W. Foothill Blvd. would be closing its doors.

A spokesperson from Rite Aid confirmed the last day the store is open is Jan. 15.

“Rite Aid regularly assesses its retail footprint to ensure we are operating efficiently while meeting the needs of our customers, communities, associates and overall business. In connection with the court-supervised process, we notified the Court of certain underperforming stores we are closing to further reduce rent expense and strengthen overall financial performance. At this time, we have not made or confirmed any decisions on additional specific store closures as part of our financial restructuring process,” according to a statement from Rite Aid.

According to some employees, little notice was given of the closure and customers only found out the store was closing when they walked through the doors. On the latest list of closures released in late November 2023, the Foothill Rite Aid was not on the list.

The closures are in a response to the company filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October 2023. The company has seen profits dropping over the last few years and, like other pharmacies, is facing financial issues from lawsuits over opioid prescriptions. After the October bankruptcy announcement the chain closed over 150 stores across 15 states; however, more closures have been announced or stores were closed.

“The decision to close a store is not one we take lightly. The Company, with the assistance of its advisors, carefully considers various factors in its decision-making, including business strategy, lease and rent considerations, local business conditions and viability, and store performance,” stated the spokesperson.  

According to its website Rite Aid still has over 1,900 stores opened across 16 states.

The spokesperson added the company makes every effort to ensure customers have access to pharmacy-based health services either at another Rite Aid or another nearby pharmacy. They work to make certain there is no disruption of service.

“For our associates, we strive to transfer them to other Rite Aid locations where possible. In fact, approximately 75% of our associates have accepted opportunities to transfer locations if their store has been or is part of the ongoing store closures,” the spokesperson stated.

Some employees at other stores that have closed said they have been offered work at other stores but hate leaving the area and the community they have grown to know well.

Nearby stores that were listed for closure on the November 2023 list, or have already closed, include 4044 Eagle Rock Blvd. in Los Angeles and 935 N. Hollywood Way in Burbank.

The Rite Aid at 647 Foothill Blvd. in La Cañada Flintridge and the 24 Hour Rite Aid at 531 N. Glendale Ave. in Glendale remain open.