FREMONT, Mich. — More than 150 Rite Aid pharmacies are closing across the Unite States after the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
"It's going to be a huge impact because if you look at Newaygo County, we're a very long county, and there are few pharmacies," said Fremont resident Elizabeth Follett.
The Fremont location is one of two West Michigan stores that will be closing its doors within the next few weeks.
The closing date is set for Oct. 25, but a sign outside the Rite Aid stills says they're hiring for open positions.
"There's only going to be Meijer's, Walmart and Walgreens now," said Follett.
Follett herself uses Walgreens across the street. One of her fears is that the closing of the Fremont store will impact wait times at the Walgreens when prescriptions are transferred there.
"I don't know how many people in this Rite Aid, but it's probably a good portion of the community, not only here, but throughout the county," said Follett. "So, that hurts a lot."
For Follett, closing of Rite Aid mirrors another closed business in town.
"It is very sad to see it go to another empty building in Fremont," said Follett. "Family Fare came in and filled a very well-loved grocery store didn't stay long. And now we have a huge empty building there. And now we're losing Rite Aid, one of the first big pharmacies that came into town. So now two big buildings across the street from each other."
According to Business Insider, the other Michigan locations impacted include:
- Greenville: 507 N. Lafayette Street
- Grand Ledge: 715 South Clinton Street
- Macomb: 15250 24 Mile Road
- Sturgis: 102 North Centerville Road
- Wixom: 47300 Pontiac Trail
- Clinton Township: 35250 South Gratiot Avenue, 36485 Garfield Road
- Shelby Township: 51037 Van Dyke Avenue
- Jackson: 3100 East Michigan Avenue
- Taylor: 9155 Telegraph Road
- Manistee: 1243 US 31 South
- Garden City: 29447 Ford Road
- Flint: 2838 East Court Street, 1124 North Ballenger Highway
- Detroit: 1900 East 8 Mile Road
- Farmington Hills: 25922 Middlebelt Road
- St. Johns: 109 North Whittemore Street
- Lansing: 2701 South Cedar Stret
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