Rite Aid closing nearly 200 New York stores, affecting Spuyten Duyvil community
Rite Aid filed for bankruptcy in May and announced the closure of all New York locations.
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Rite Aid will close nearly 200 stores across New York by the end of the month, leaving communities like Spuyten Duyvil with fewer nearby pharmacy options and longer travel times for basic needs.
Marni Wood, of Spuyten Duyvil, says her daily routine includes walking to her neighborhood Rite Aid for household essentials.
“Anything to do with supplies, kitchen, bathroom, that kind of thing. I buy here. I did buy here,” Wood said.
That routine will soon come to an end. Rite Aid filed for bankruptcy in May and announced the closure of all New York locations.
“It’s a 10-minute walk, but it’s close. And they have everything I ever need,” Wood said.
Now, prescriptions are being transferred to a CVS located about five minutes away by car, a challenge for residents like Wood who don’t drive.
“It’s a 30-minute walk,” she said.
Wood has shopped at the Spuyten Duyvil Rite Aid for 17 years and has built a relationship with the staff.
“They know my name. And when I go by, even if I’m not doing anything with them, they wave,” she said.
As the store nears its final days, shelves are emptying and clearance signs fill the aisles.
“I’m so sad because now I have to find a drugstore much further,” Wood said.
