On Thursday, pharmacy chain CVS announced they would be closing 300 stores per year over the next three years.  Those 900 stores equal about 10% of the company's total number of stores.

According to USA Today, the first round of closures will be in the Spring of 2022.

Management for the chain said the stores slated for closure are being chosen on the basis of several different factors.  These include the an area's population and the number of stores in a given area (compared to the population of that area).

How many, if any, of our Maine CVS locations will be closed?  Well, they have yet to announce a list of the stores that are to be closed.  However, as they intend to close 10% of their locations, we can expect that at least a few (hopefully only a few) of our Maine and New England (New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, etc) locations will be closed.

They have said that they do intend to make sure the locations in underserved communities will stay open.  They also plan to increase healthcare offerings at those locations.

So, why the closures?  Lately, the massive pharmacy chain has been dealing with digital competitors.  Amazon's pharmacy service, for example.

The company has its roots right here in New England.  The first CVS store, back then called Consumer Value Stores, opened in Lowell, Massachusetts in 1963.  Currently, the chain has its headquarters in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.  According to Wikipedia, in 2018 the store had 9,967 locations across the country.

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