Rite Aid to close Bartell Drugs unless buyer emerges

Bartell Drugs customers are mourning what could be the end of the beloved local pharmacy.

Its parent company, Rite Aid, plans to close all Bartell locations in the coming months as part of bankruptcy proceedings if it can’t find a buyer for the stores.

Though Rite Aid says it’s in talks with multiple buyers, the future of the Seattle pharmacy chain remains uncertain. A state filing released Wednesday revealed Rite Aid’s plans to lay off 131 employees by June 4. A spokesperson for Washington’s Economic Security Department said the layoffs are associated with the closure of a Bartell warehouse.

Owen Selwyn was one of just a few customers shopping half-stocked shelves at the Greenwood Bartells on Thursday.

“ I've been coming to like this specific Bartells for probably 20 years,” he said. “It's definitely, it's sad to see it close.”

When Rite Aid acquired the struggling pharmacy chain in 2020, it said Bartell's stores — and distinct personality — would remain intact. Selwyn was skeptical at the time. Now, he says he’s angry with Rite Aid for “ruining a pretty great local Seattle business.”

But it’s a tough time for pharmacies. Profits are shrinking thanks to pressure from the companies that negotiate prescription reimbursements and declining in-store sales. About 30% of pharmacies across the country have closed since 2010.

At the time of the Rite Aid acquisition, there were 69 Bartells across the Puget Sound region. Today there are 39, and it's unclear if they will remain open by the end of the year.