Over the last five years, the retail world has undergone a seismic shift—one marked by closures, pivots, and a complete rethinking of how we shop. What started as a temporary disruption in early 2020 has evolved into a long-term transformation. And few sectors have felt the aftershocks as deeply as the drugstore and pharmacy industry.
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🦠 The Pandemic That Changed Everything
It’s hard to believe it’s been half a decade since COVID-19 flipped the world upside down. But the legacy it left on the retail sector is impossible to ignore.
Gone are the days when in-store shopping was the default. Before 2020, a trip to the local supermarket, pharmacy, or mall was just part of daily life. We’d walk in to grab milk, pick up a prescription, maybe browse the makeup aisle or grab a razor refill.
Now? Many consumers opt to have those essentials delivered. And with foot traffic in malls dwindling fast, online orders are replacing spontaneous in-person shopping trips.
📉 Drugstores Are Caught in the Crossfire
Among the hardest-hit players are drugstores like Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid. Not only did the pandemic disrupt their in-store foot traffic, but it also intensified existing problems—like rising theft, increased regulatory burdens, and higher operational costs.
Drugstores are unique in retail because they can’t just shut down physical locations and go fully digital. They’re considered essential services in many communities. So, while other retailers moved their operations online and slashed brick-and-mortar locations, pharmacies were stuck between a rock and a hard place.
And unfortunately, staying open didn’t always translate to staying profitable.
🧾 Online Convenience, In-Store Consequences
Consumers’ growing reliance on digital conveniences—like prescription delivery services and online shopping for personal care items—meant fewer in-person visits.
Add in rising theft (with items like razors, cosmetics, and cold medicine among the top targets), and suddenly, operating a drugstore in a high-traffic area became more risk than reward.
Meanwhile, competitors offering lower prices, deeper discounts, or bulk-buy options have been pulling shoppers away. Think dollar stores, wholesale clubs, and, of course, the ever-present lure of Amazon.
🏥 Walgreens’ Bold—and Painful—Plan
Walgreens, one of the industry’s largest players, is now taking drastic steps to stabilize its future. CEO Tim Wentworth announced that the company is still in the early stages of a major turnaround plan—one that includes cost-cutting, re-focusing investments, and ultimately, going private.
One of the most visible—and painful—parts of that plan? Store closures.
Walgreens is preparing to shut down approximately 1,200 stores across the U.S. over the next three years. And some of those closures are already in motion.
📍 Connecticut Closures: What’s Closing and When
Seven Walgreens locations in Connecticut are closing their doors in quick succession. Here’s a breakdown of the affected locations:
- Milford – 1083 Boston Post Road (Closed April 21)
- Waterbury – 11 Meriden Road (Closed April 22)
- Middletown – 311 E Main St. (Closed April 23)
- New Britain – 1350 Stanley St. (Closes May 19)
- Prescriptions moved to 102 Washington St., New Britain
- East Hartford – 922 Silver Lane (Closes May 20)
- Prescriptions moved to 20 Connecticut Blvd.
- New Milford – 173 Danbury Road (Closes May 21)
- East Haven – 157 Main St. (Closes May 22)
- Prescriptions moved to 87 Foxon St., New Haven
The closures are not arbitrary. Walgreens cited “increased regulatory and reimbursement pressures” making it difficult to cover the costs of rent, staffing, and supplies—especially in areas where foot traffic has dropped and theft has risen.
Full List of Stores Closing in April 2025: Major Retail Chains Shutting Down Nationwide
Iconic Retail Chain to Close Almost 500 Stores
🛒 Retail’s New Reality
The larger takeaway? Retail isn’t dying, but it is transforming. And businesses that once felt unshakable are now being forced to evolve or exit.
Drugstores like Walgreens walk a fine line—they’re essential to many communities, but they also need to survive as businesses. Finding that balance in this new world of digital convenience, economic strain, and shifting consumer habits won’t be easy.
As the retail landscape continues to shift beneath our feet, only one thing is certain: the stores that survive the storm will be the ones that know how to adapt—and fast.