Tri-Cities’ only 24-hour pharmacy to close or be sold in Rite Aid bankruptcy
Rite Aid is closing or selling 1,240 stores in 15 states, including what is the Tri-Cities’ only 24-hour pharmacy.
New Rite Aid LLC and related companies filed for protection from creditors under Chapter 11 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New Jersey on May 5. The judge approved a bidding process to sell its assets two days later.
Tuesday, May 13, is the deadline for bidders to make offers on pharmacy assets. An auction will be held at 6 a.m., Pacific Time on Wednesday if there is more than one viable bidder.
Rite Aid operates two stores each in Kennewick and Pasco and one in Richland.
Its Kennewick store off Highway 395 at North Ely is the Tri-Cities’ lone 24-hour pharmacy.
Rivals such as Walgreens, Walmart and CVS (Target) close at night in the Tri-Cities. In-store pharmacies at Costco Wholesale, Safeway, Fred Meyer and Yoke’s Fresh Market also shut down in the evenings.
In a letter to customers, Rite Aid said the majority of its stores would remain open for the coming months. It said it was working to transfer consumer prescriptions to other pharmacies.
In a separate letter to its vendors, Rite Aid acknowledged it is under financial pressure since it restructured in 2024.
“At this time, Rite Aid has generally stopped purchasing goods and services, except for those that it believes are essential to supporting this process.”
CoStar, a real estate listing service, reports four of the five Tri-Cities store operations are for sale, though the actual buildings are leased.
- 1549 George Washington Way, Richland, 16,800 square feet.
- 1329 Lee Blvd., Richland, Richland, 17,400 square feet.
- 1901 N. Steptoe St., Kennewick, 17,400 square feet.
- 1320 N. 20th Ave., Pasco, 20,000 square feet.
Documents related to the New Rite Aid LLC bankruptcy are mirrored at kroll.com.
This story was originally published May 12, 2025 at 3:34 PM.