15 August 2024
Tom Tolen / [email protected]
Despite its strategic location at the busy intersection of Main St. and Grand River in downtown Brighton, the CVS store in Brighton will close its doors next month.
Shift manager Sherie Combs confirmed today that the company will permanently close on September 24. Employees were told they would be considered for similar positions at other CVS stores in southeast Michigan.
This is all part of a nationwide trend among drugstore chains. At least 300 CVS stores across the country will close this year, a trend that began two years ago. Since 2022, the company has closed about 600 stores. USA Today reports that the closures are part of the company’s plans to close 900 stores – or 10% – nationwide.
The latest closures will result in approximately 5,000 employees being laid off nationwide. The company has said that affected employees at CVS stores slated for closure will be offered the same or equivalent positions at other locations.
As of 2023, CVS was the largest pharmacy chain in the country with about 9,600 stores, ahead of second-place Walgreens. Despite the announced closures, CVS Health’s revenue for the 12 months ended June 30 of this year was $363 billion, up a whopping 7% year over year.
CVS spokeswoman Amy Thibault says the closures “are based on our assessment of changes in demographics, consumer purchasing behavior and future healthcare needs to ensure we have the right pharmacy format in the right locations for patients.”
Others claim the closure of the wholesale stores is the result of billions of dollars in lawsuits related to the sale of opioids. According to USA Today, the lawsuits have ordered CVS to pay $5 billion over the next decade.
There are no plans to close the CVS branch at the corner of Old US-23 and Grand River in Brighton Township, which is just 1.3 miles from the downtown Brighton branch. In fact, a spokesperson said all patients whose prescriptions were filled at the downtown branch will be transferred to the Brighton Township branch.
The impending closure of the CVS store in Brighton follows the closure of Rite Aid stores in the area, including the former store at Cross Grand Plaza in Brighton, which was set to close in 2022. On Wednesday, Rite Aid announced it would close all 170 remaining stores in Michigan, including the store at 75 S. Dexter in Pinckney.