Walgreens is continuing to close some locations amid its multiyear turnaround program – however the closures may be fewer than expected.
The drugstore chain, acquired by private equity firm Sycamore Partners in August 2025 has closed about dozen locations recently, according to business news site Inc. and local media reports. Before the acquisition, Walgreens said it planned to close about 1,200 underperforming stores across the U.S. as part of a turnaround strategy.
Sycamore Partners, which had previously acquired retailers such as Staples, Talbots and Nine West, has slowed the closures after several hundred Walgreens locations were shuttered, Inc. reported. At the time of the acquisition, Walgreens reported 8,500 locations in the U.S.; it currently lists about 8,000.
Walgreens now expects to close fewer than 100 stores in 2026, lower than the earlier internal plans to close as many as 700, Inc. reported.
Walgreens confirmed to USA TODAY a list of one dozen locations that have closed recently or are set to close.
Walgreens locations closing in Chicago, St. Louis, more
Walgreens confirmed to USA TODAY these recent or upcoming closures, which were reported by Inc., and local media (if listed). The company did not say how many stores would close or open through 2026:
- District of Columbia: One location in Washington, reported by PoPville.
- Illinois: Two stores in Chicago and another in Rockford, reported by Chicago Tribune, WLS and WIFR.
- Missouri: One store in Bridgeton and another in St. Louis, reported by St. Louis Business Journal and KSDK.
- New Jersey: One location in Bogota closing Aug. 6, according to the Walgreens site.
- New York: One location in Brooklyn, Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported.
- South Carolina: A location in Beaufort closing Aug. 6, according to Walgreens site.
- Texas: A distribution center in Houston, reported by Houston Business Journal.
- Virginia: One location in Arlington, reported by ARLnow.com.
- Washington: One location in Seattle, reported by The Seattle Times.
- Wisconsin: One store in Milwaukee, reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Mike Snider is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & msnider@usatoday.com.