Rite Aid is set to close all of its Michigan locations by the end of September, as detailed in recent bankruptcy court filings. Notices of intent to close 38 stores across the state were submitted on August 2, 5, and 9, marking the final list of closures for Rite Aid in Michigan.
An email from a Rite Aid spokesperson confirmed, “All stores in Michigan have been submitted on the docket,” and that the closures will be completed by the end of the month. As a result, Rite Aid will transfer prescriptions from its Michigan locations to Walgreens.
Since filing for bankruptcy in October, Rite Aid has been systematically shutting down underperforming stores. The chain, which originated in Scranton, Pennsylvania over 60 years ago, has closed more than 500 stores nationwide. The focus of its liquidation efforts has recently shifted predominantly to Ohio and Michigan
A review of court documents reveals that at least 17 Michigan cities will have lost three or more Rite Aid stores since October. Among the hardest-hit areas are Detroit, which will lose eight stores; Flint, with six closures; and Lansing and Saginaw, each with five.
In total, approximately 230 Rite Aid stores in Michigan will have closed within a year. The company’s efforts to reduce its debt by $2 billion are part of a plan to emerge from bankruptcy with around 1,300 remaining locations. Despite this, the chain’s website still lists 170 Michigan stores as of Tuesday, though 14 fewer than two weeks ago, many of which now display “Store Closing” signs.
