Walgreens says another of its local stores will be closing — this one in the working-class Westwood neighborhood at 300 S. Federal Blvd.
“We regret any inconvenience this may cause, but hope to make the transition as seamless as possible,” stated a letter sent to customers and signed by “Your Pharmacist.”
Pharmacy customers at the Westwood location are being referred to the 7551 W. Alameda Ave. Walgreens in Lakewood.
The news comes a week after the pharmacy chain announced it would be closing its West Colfax neighborhood store at the intersection of Sheridan and Colfax streets.
The closures are part of a national strategy to shut down underperforming stores.
CEO Tim Wentworth announced the nationwide closure strategy in June, telling analysts that a quarter of the company’s brick-and-mortar pharmacies nationwide would be shuttered.
Like many brick-and-mortar stores, Walgreens faces hefty competition from online pharmacies. Customers have complained about long wait times and understaffed stores. A year ago, pharmacists were staging walkouts in protest of poor working conditions.
Here’s how Walgreens explained the two Denver closures:
“Our retail pharmacy business is central to our go-forward business strategy,” noted the Walgreens spokesperson. “However, increased regulatory and reimbursement pressures are weighing on our ability to cover the costs associated with rent, staffing, and supply needs.”
The company provided little information about why it had axed these Denver stores in particular, other than saying it does “everything possible to improve the store performance.”
The company has declined to comment about how many other Denver-area stores are on the chopping block in the long term.
“These are the only two Denver closures next month,” a spokesperson wrote. They didn’t say anything about the month after that, though.
If you discover your neighborhood’s Walgreens is shutting down, send us a note at [email protected].
