Walgreens will permanently close its Kent location at 26505 104th Ave. SE on Sept. 8.
A spokesperson for the Illinois-based company confirmed in an Aug. 20 email the closure of the store on the southeast corner of the intersection of SE 256th Street and 104th Avenue SE. The Walgreens at 27112 132nd Ave. SE will remain open.
Walgreens announced in October 2024 that it would close about 1,200 stores over a three-year period as part of a store “optimizing strategy.” The Kent store closure is part of that plan, according to a spokesperson.
“We will continue to execute our previously announced turnaround plan aimed at stabilizing the retail pharmacy, including our footprint optimization program,” according to a spokesperson. “Increased regulatory and reimbursement pressures are weighing on our ability to cover the costs associated with rent, staffing, and supply needs. It is never an easy decision to close a store, and we know how important they are to the communities we serve and therefore do everything possible to improve their performance. When closures are necessary, we will work in partnership with community stakeholders to minimize customer disruptions.”
The company has more than 8,000 stores across the nation in all 50 states, including more than 130 in Washington.
Patients who get their prescriptions filled at this location do not need to take action, according to a spokesperson. They will be notified by mail and their prescriptions will automatically be transferred to the Walgreens at 27112 132nd Ave. SE.
Patients are also able to transfer their prescriptions to a more convenient Walgreens location and are eligible to receive free delivery for 90-days to help in the transition.
Employees will get other job offers.
“We intend to redeploy the majority of our team members from those stores that we close,” according to a spokesperson who did not answer how many people the Kent store employs.
Walgreens sits right across 104th Avenue SE from a Rite Aid store that closed earlier this year and remains for lease. Rite Aid at one time had three Kent locations but now has none. A second East Hill location also closed earlier this year.
Ohio-based Kroger confirmed Aug. 18 that it will close a Fred Meyer store in October on the East Hill in Kent.
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