CVS Is Closing Stores Across the Country This Year. The Real Reason Isn’t What Most Shoppers Think
The pharmacy chain is closing weaker locations across the U.S. this year. It says it plans to invest in smaller formats and stronger markets.
This year, CVS is closing stores across the country.
The move comes even as the pharmacy chain plans to open about 60 new locations in what would mark its first year of net growth after several years of downsizing.
“While we have a small number of closures planned for 2026, they’re primarily due to lease expirations and relocations,” a spokesperson for CVS told Inc.
They added that the retailer regularly reviews
They added that the retailer regularly reviews its store and pharmacy footprint and has done work to find the best way to serve patients and customers, something it believes its current footprint plans reflect.
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What are the reasons behind the CVS closures?
The reasons for closure vary by location.
According to CVS’s SEC filing, the company’s ongoing closures trace back to an enterprise-wide restructuring plan launched in 2024, following a strategic review of its retail business. Additionally, CVS has also attributed individual closures to factors like local market dynamics, population shifts, and store density.
Notably, some of CVS’s closure announcements haven’t stuck. In San Francisco, the company said in January it would close its 701 Van Ness Avenue location by February 24, only to reverse course weeks later after local pushback. “We apologize for any confusion this change in direction may have caused,” a CVS spokesperson said at the time.
Source: www.inc.com
