Closures will affect residents in Chicago's predominantly Black and brown neighborhoods
CHICAGO (WLS) -- A pharmacy giant is closing five stores in Chicago.
Those locations are part of more than a thousand under-performing stores being closed by Walgreens nationwide.
The closures will affect residents in Chicago's predominantly Black and brown neighborhoods, where the stores are slated to close.
Some seniors like Constance Hatchett don't know what to do now that more Walgreens locations will be closing down.
"It's a bad issue; it's bad. We need Walgreens because of our medicine. We're seniors. We need it in our communities," Hatchett said.
The second-largest pharmacy store chain in the U.S. announced it's closing five stores by the end of February in neighborhoods on the city's South and West sides, including one in the Little Village neighborhood.
The locations closing are as follows:
- 3405 S. King Drive in Bronzeville
- 4005 W. 26th St. in Little Village
- 7111 S. Western Ave. in South Shore
- 7109 S. Jeffery Blvd. in South Shore
- 9148 S. Commercial Ave. in South Chicago
"Walgreens is still trying to make their money, but they don't want to do it in the Black and brown communities," resident Albert Robinson said.
In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for Walgreens said the most recent closures are a part of a previously announced business strategy calling for the shuttering of 1,200 locations over three years adding, in part, "... increased regulatory and reimbursement pressures are weighing on our ability to cover the costs associated with rent, staffing and supply needs...it is never an easy decision to close a store."
The company says it plans on "re-deploying" employees from closing stores while transferring pharmacy customers' prescriptions.
While at an unrelated event advocating for affordable housing for seniors, community activist the Rev. Robin Hood said the closures will be a devastating blow for those already struggling to get their medications.
"It's wrong. Walgreens is wrong for coming into this community all these years and closing it up," Hood said.
After seeing several drugstores close in recent years, Del-Kar drugstore owner Edwin Muldrow, whose father opened in 1960 what is now the only Black-owned drugstore left in Chicago, says when corporate pharmacy chains abandon communities, they leave behind pharmacy deserts.
"So, when you take the prescription services out of the community, where are the seniors going to go and purchase food, purchase basic health care items?" Muldrow said.
No suburban locations are included in this planned closure.
Walgreens says the locations scheduled for closing should be shuttered by the end of next month.